Financial capacity in dementia: a systematic review

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Medicine
• Neuropsychology
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Financial capacity (FC) involves managing finances and income, crucial for independence.
• Assessing FC in older adults with dementia is vital but challenging.
• Optimal methods for evaluating FC in dementia require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review existing data on financial capacity in dementia.
• To identify and evaluate instruments used for assessing financial capacity in dementia patients.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search across major databases (Medline, PsycINFO, etc.).
• Inclusion of studies objectively assessing financial capacity in dementia of any cause.

Main Results:

• Mild Alzheimer's Disease (AD) impairs complex FC (e.g., checkbook management) but preserves simple skills.
• Moderate AD leads to broader deficits across all FC domains.
• The Financial Capacity Instrument (FCI) was frequently used and correlated with other measures.

Conclusions:

• Early-stage dementia is characterized by partially preserved financial capacity.
• Objective, evidence-based tools like the FCI require more validation studies for FC assessment.