[P4–374]: FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES AND ERRORS IN PATIENTS WITH DEMENTIA: BASELINE FINDINGS FROM THE CARE ECOSYSTEM STUDY

Continuing involvement in financial activities such as shopping or paying bills may enhance patients’ sense of autonomy but also expose them to fraud and other financial errors. Earlier measures of financial decision-making in dementia either address financial incapacity rather than actual activities; or measure financial abilities as part of global scores of functional impairment (e.g., Blessed, FAQ, IADL) and are often ambiguous between what patients could do and what patients actually do. After enrollment in the Care Ecosystem study, 97 caregivers of patients with dementia randomized to the intervention group were asked (1) whether patients premorbidly made their own purchases, paid household bills by themselves, or prepared taxes or other important documents; (2) if so, whether patients had performed these activities in the preceding year; and (3) if so, whether patients had made financial errors. Among patients with mild disease, 26 of 43 (60%) who had previously made purchases continued to do so in the previous year, while 15/32 (47%) continued to pay bills and 5/21 (24%) continued to prepare taxes. One patient with moderate disease continued to pay bills and prepare taxes, suggesting high financial vulnerability. (Figure 1) Patients who had completed a college degree were more likely to continue to make purchases (p = 0.032) and to pay bills (p = 0.015). (Figure 2) Contrary to our initial hypotheses, living alone was not associated with continued financial activities. (Figure 3) Out of 35 still participating in financial activities in the preceding year, 11 were reported to have made financial errors.