To determine whether someone was experiencing “deteriorating financial self-management,” researchers looked for people who had bill payments at least 30 days past due for two or more months in a row and those with a credit score below 620, which is considered “subprime.”
The study found that those who developed dementia were at “significantly higher risk of payment delinquency” compared with a similar population of people who were healthy. “To our knowledge, these results represent the first large-scale evidence of financial harms related to preclinical and diagnosed ADRD,” the researchers wrote.
Sadly, today when I came out of the grocery store, an older woman (80+) approached me with the assistance of one of those four wheel walker/seat things. She stated she could not find her car and asked if I could help her find it.
We were next to my truck, so I put my groceries away and proceeded to try and help.
The parking lot for this multi store center is much bigger then a Costco, Walmart etc. and it was over 50% full.
Me: Do you have your car keys? No, I think I left them in the car.
Me: What kind of car do you have? I don’t know.
Me: What color is your car? I don’t know.
She was exhausted and the sun was clearly getting the best of her as well. I told her that we need to go into the store and get someone inside to help her (I didn’t tell her that I was going to call the authorities to come out and assist).
I left her with the store manager with instructions to keep her safe and inside and that I was going to notify the authorities to help find the car and also the paramedics to check on her health. I waited in my truck until either the authorities or the paramedics arrived (10 minutes paramedics) and then I left.
Very sad, I agree. But this woman obviously shouldn’t be driving an automobile. I doubt this is the first time she’s had a cognitive problem.
Based on what I have seen with a relative, it’s just as likely she did NOT drive there. Lack of keys would support this idea as well. Said relative would get very set on certain ideas like this that had nothing to do with reality, including even leaving the house and walking quite far away.
Hopefully the authorities impounded the car and took away her license.
Very sad, but it would be for her safety as well as the safety of others.
1poormom didn’t get to that point. A neurologist was called by hospital staff while she was there for a fall, and he said she shouldn’t drive anymore. That was that.
Likely she was brought there by a friend/relative and wandered off…
doubt she drove herself there.
Or she walked there from apt or care across the street. less likely
I’m 75…the brain cells still working but you never know when. Grandfather on one side lost his marbles around age 80. Had to put him in Alzheimers place as he would wander off. His brother lived fine till age 92. You never know. Most males in my family treewere dead by 77. Two made it to 90s. Most females lasted till 80s, and the Swedish relatives till mid 90s.
My mom was 82 and in good mental health …something else got her at that age (second broken hip and complications).
Based on what I have seen with a relative, it’s just as likely she did NOT drive there. Lack of keys would support this idea as well.
The local paper has a Police Blotter section. Have seen more than once an entry like
“Officer dispatched to xx Street to see lady, who called 911 and said someone stole her garage. Her house has never had a garage, and she makes this call several times a year.”
“Officer dispatched to xx Street to see lady, who called 911 and said someone stole her garage. Her house has never had a garage, and she makes this call several times a year.”
I hope that in that and similar cases, the police follow up with the family and/or adult protective services.
EMT’s visited my dad with increasing frequency to pick him up after he’d fallen. Dad was always pleasantly surprised to see them. He never remembered that he had a medical alert pendant, or that it had fall detection. I never heard from the EMT’s or police/fire department, but luckily Philips called me after each incident to keep me informed.
Anyway, back to the OP: great article, and IIRC we discussed it when it first appeared over a year ago.