People with dementia often have problems managing their money. In fact, money problems may be one of the first noticeable signs of the disease.
A few years ago, Angie O’Leary, head of wealth services at RBC financial, noticed that her father-in-law's household bills and financial statements were scattered around the house. “There were envelopes with checks in them that weren't sent. Some with stamps, and some without," said O'Leary. "That was the first sign something was not right." This prompted her family to get him checked out to find out he was
in the early stages of dementia. “It took a year to get all of finances sorted out,” O'Leary noted.
Similar to O’Leary’s situation, if you have a loved one who is having trouble managing his or her finances, research has shown it can be an early sign of cognitive difficulty and even dementia. Signs of money problems may include trouble counting change, paying for a purchase, calculating a tip, balancing a checkbook, or understanding a bill or bank statement. The person may be afraid or worried when he or
she talks about money. You may also find:
• Unpaid and unopened bills;
• Lots of new purchases on a credit card bill;
• Strange new merchandise; and/or
• Money missing from the person’s bank account,
The Scientific Link Between Trouble with Financial Tasks and Dementia
