Pebble Beach, CA Can Driving Habits And Credit Scores Predict Future Alzheimer’s Or Dementia Diagnosis?

A woman looking out of the window at her home.


There has been such slow progress on the search for a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, I was pleased to see that some researchers are focusing on finding early clues as to who may be vulnerable to getting Alzheimer’s disease or some other type of dementia.  A recent article in The New York Times said that some scientists believe that pathologies underlying brain decline may begin many years before symptoms emerge.  A spate of experiments is underway to see if little things like overlooking a couple of credit card payments or habitually braking while driving could be a sign that dementia is in your future.  “Early detection is key for intervention, at the stage when that would be most effective,†said Saye Bayat, the lead author of a driving study funded by the National Institutes of Health and performed at Washington University.  The study took 64 older adults with preclinical Alzheimer’s disease as determined by spinal taps and 75 who were deemed cognitively normal (results were not shared with the study participants).  For a year, researchers measured both groups’ driving performance.  The study found that driving behavior and age could predict preclinical Alzheimer’s 88% of the time.  Those findings could spur recruitment for clinical trials and allow for interventions—like an alert when a car drifts—to help keep drivers safely on the road.  Dr. Jason Karlawish, a geriatrician and co-director of the Penn Memory Center, called the study “provocative†and well designed.  “The results suggest that monitoring a real-world, cognitively intense behavior can detect the earliest, subtle signs of emerging cognitive impairment,†he said.  Another study analyzed medical records and consumer credit reports for more than 80,000 Medicare beneficiaries and found that those who eventually received a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease were significantly more likely to have delinquent credit card payments (and sub-prime credit scores) than those with similar demographics who never received an Alzheimer’s diagnosis.  I hope these studies bear fruit.  Regular readers of my blog know that both my father and grandmother had this terrible disease when they passed away.  There are wonderful people at our local chapter of Alzheimer’s Association in Ryan’s Ranch.  It is always a struggle figuring out how to deal with a loved one, as the symptoms can seem to change from day to day.  Drop by or give them a call if you need help.  And when all else fails, don’t forget that the Alzheimer’s Association has a 24-hour hotline.  If you need some additional support you can reach them at 800-272-3900.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/23/health/dementia-behavior-alzheimers.html

 

Monterey, CA Can Driving Habits And Credit Scores Predict Future Alzheimer’s Or Dementia Diagnosis? By : Derek Baine

An older woman with a gray hair sitting in front of trees.


There has been such slow progress on the search for a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, I was pleased to see that some researchers are focusing on finding early clues as to who may be vulnerable to getting Alzheimer’s disease or some other type of dementia.  A recent article in The New York Times said that some scientists believe that pathologies underlying brain decline may begin many years before symptoms emerge.  A spate of experiments is underway to see if little things like overlooking a couple of credit card payments or habitually braking while driving could be a sign that dementia is in your future.  “Early detection is key for intervention, at the stage when that would be most effective,†said Saye Bayat, the lead author of a driving study funded by the National Institutes of Health and performed at Washington University.  The study took 64 older adults with preclinical Alzheimer’s disease as determined by spinal taps and 75 who were deemed cognitively normal (results were not shared with the study participants).  For a year, researchers measured both groups’ driving performance.  The study found that driving behavior and age could predict preclinical Alzheimer’s 88% of the time.  Those findings could spur recruitment for clinical trials and allow for interventions—like an alert when a car drifts—to help keep drivers safely on the road.  Dr. Jason Karlawish, a geriatrician and co-director of the Penn Memory Center, called the study “provocative†and well designed.  “The results suggest that monitoring a real-world, cognitively intense behavior can detect the earliest, subtle signs of emerging cognitive impairment,†he said.  Another study analyzed medical records and consumer credit reports for more than 80,000 Medicare beneficiaries and found that those who eventually received a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease were significantly more likely to have delinquent credit card payments (and sub-prime credit scores) than those with similar demographics who never received an Alzheimer’s diagnosis.  I hope these studies bear fruit.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/23/health/dementia-behavior-alzheimers.html

 

Carmel, CA Family Caregivers May Soon Get A Tax Credit Of Up To $5K

A man and woman posing for the camera.


A bill which is working its way through both houses of Congress would give a much-needed financial break to 48 million family caregivers in America who struggle every day as they care for a loved one.  I know the feeling well, I cared for my grandmother in my own home over five years until she passed away just shy of her 98th birthday.  She had Alzheimer’s disease and was quite a handful.  However, it was very fulfilling personally to be able to be there as she struggled in her final years.  If you face a similar situation, please contact our local chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association in Ryan Ranch.  They have some wonderful people and there is also a 24-hour hotline where you can speak to someone compassionate when you are struggling at 800-272-3900.  Thankfully, The Credit for Caring Act which was introduced back in May in the U.S. Senate looks likely to pass, and it will give a tax credit of up to $5K to working family caregivers.  It would give eligible family members a 30% credit for qualified expenses above $2K, paying for things like home care aides, adult day care, respite care and home modifications like ramps and smart technology to make your home safer.

https://www.aarp.org/caregiving/financial-legal/info-2021/new-credit-for-caring-act.html

President Joe Biden’s Medicaid Plan Helps Family Caregivers : By Derek Baine

A man and woman cutting an apple on a board.


President Joe Biden has an ambitious plan to help seniors, including asking Congress to lower the age of Medicare eligibility to 60, and a $450 billion fund to help family caregivers over the next ten years.  The latter would include a $5,000 tax credit for caregivers, and should reduce waiting lists for in-home and community-based care.