Financial competency test for dementia patients
A 25 minute test has been developed to help doctors determine whether a dementia patient can still handle their financial affairs.
The test was described at the recent 2006 International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders in Madrid.
It examines eight areas of financial activity: basic monetary skills, conceptual knowledge, cash transactions, cheque book management, bank statement management, judgment, bill payment and knowledge of personal assets and/or estate arrangements.
Dr Daniel C. Marson, a neuropsychologist with a law degree, led a team of five doctors in developing what he says is the first test designed to specifically evaluate a dementia patient’s financial capabilities. He says this test will give families and courts objective guidance in doing this.
