Money Management and the Aging Brain

We’re all apt to get a bit fuzzier at money math as we age. The decline of financial skills—counting money, understanding debt and loans, paying bills, having the judgment to make prudent financial decisions—may be an early marker of something more: mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer’s disease.

Money Management and the Aging Brain
September 22, 2015 – by Tobie Stanger • consumerreports.org

Money Management and the Aging Brain

We’re all apt to get a bit fuzzier at money math as we age. The decline of financial skills—counting money, understanding debt and loans, paying bills, having the judgment to make prudent financial decisions—may be an early marker of something more: mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer’s disease.

In normal aging, cognitive abilities involving speed—learning new material, recalling facts, shifting attention—slow down, notes Bennett Blum, a forensic and geriatric psychiatrist in Tucson, Ariz. Other abilities, associated with language and reasoning, improve. How an individual is affected depends on genetics, health, environment, physical activity, and other factors. And the decline may not be noticed for years if a senior functions well otherwise. “Someone who’s not with the elder often won’t even recognize it or might chalk it up to eccentricity,” he says.

Only when a senior gets gulled into an unnecessary reverse mortgage or makes a bad investment decision—say, buying “gold” coins of questionable value—does the change make itself known. Stressful situations—often imposed by pushy telemarketers and outright scammers—also can highlight the impairment.

Declining cognition and dementia are blamed for seniors’ susceptibility to scams, but those with intact cognition also can get snookered, possibly because of other pressures that make them more vulnerable. Loss of a relative, family discord, financial worries, or an overdependence on another person—all can contribute, says Susan Bernatz, a forensic neuropsychologist in Marina Del Rey, Calif. “I’ve seen many cases involving people with full mental capacity whose trust and dependency were exploited for another person’s financial gain,” she says.

Notably, cognitive decline affects financial decision-making differently among personality types. A study published in 2014 by researchers from DePaul University and Rush University Medical Center found that seniors who have an overinflated faith in their financial abilities could be more vulnerable than others to money scams. As their cognition wanes, the risk increases. What’s more, the report said, getting stung once might not be enough to keep some overconfident types from being defrauded again.

Read the article here:
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/consumer-protection/money-management-and-the-aging-brain

Tips for Alzheimer’s Caregivers: Preventing Burnout

Summer is notoriously one of the busiest times of the year. During the summer it seems as though we all have more trips, more weddings, more responsibilities and less time to get everything done. It can be easy to get overwhelmed during the summer and feel burned out with all of the extra activities. This is even more of an issue for Alzheimer’s caregivers who have a huge load of extra responsibility piled on their everyday tasks.

Tips for Alzheimer’s Caregivers: Preventing Burnout
July 27, 2015 – by Eric J. Hall • huffingtonpost.com

Tips for Alzheimer's Caregivers: Preventing Burnout
Blend Images – Dave and Les Jacobs via Getty Images

Summer is notoriously one of the busiest times of the year. During the summer it seems as though we all have more trips, more weddings, more responsibilities and less time to get everything done. It can be easy to get overwhelmed during the summer and feel burned out with all of the extra activities. This is even more of an issue for Alzheimer’s caregivers who have a huge load of extra responsibility piled on their everyday tasks.

Many Alzheimer’s caregivers become so invested in the demanding job of taking care of an individual with dementia that they find themselves at risk of burning out. Caring for someone with this disease can be stressful and overwhelming and this can lead to burnout, and in many cases serious issues such as depression.

Here are some of the most common signs that you may be experiencing, or close to experiencing, burnout.

  • Overwhelming feelings of frustration with the person you are caring for
  • A new found lack of patience with the individual you are caring for
  • Fatigue
  • Feeling overwhelmed or overly emotionally
  • Having trouble concentrating
  • Feeling resentful towards others
  • Developing new or worsening health issues
  • Possessing a feeling that life will never get easier or better
  • Experiencing changes in sleep or appetite
  • Feeling a need to abuse medication or alcohol
  • Believing that life is never going to get easier or better

These are all indications that you may be burning out. This can be a confusing time for any caregiver. On one hand you love the person you are caring for, but on the other, you are overwhelmed with these feelings in a way that can make you feel negative towards your loved one.

The first thing you need to do is to go easy on yourself. Just because you get frustrated, it doesn’t mean that you are a bad caregiver or that you don’t care. It is completely normal to get frustrated with the person you are caring for, and this is OK. Do not try to be the perfect caregiver, just do what you can and take everything one day at a time.

One of the best ways that you can help prevent burnout is to surround yourself with people. Having a strong network of family and friends can help you get the support that you need. You can also reach out to your doctor for ongoing support as you deal with the struggles and frustrations with being a caregiver. The more proactive you are and the more you attempt to surround yourself with those who can help you, the better off you will be.

Many times caregivers feel as though they must neglect their own needs, simply because they are so busy or feel as though they must only focus on the needs of the individual they are caring for. This is a very common sign of burnout, and something that can cause extreme stress. If you do not care for yourself, then you cannot be the best caregiver possible, so make certain you are always taking time to care for your own needs.

When someone offers you help with your caregiver responsibilities, make sure that you say “yes.” It is OK to accept help from time to time, you don’t always have to be the only one caring for your loved one and you don’t always have to control everything. If you take the time to give small tasks to others then you will start feeling less stress and can prevent burnout. If you take it upon yourself to start proactively preventing stress, then you can prevent issues with burnout from taking over so you can be the best caregiver possible for your loved one.

Read the article here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-j-hall/tips-for-alzheimers-caregivers-preventing-burnout_b_7867292.html