“Doctors could consider proactively counseling their patients using this scale, but it’s not widely in use,” Duke researcher Sierra Tolbert, the paper's lead author, said in the news release. “If someone’s scores are declining, that could be a warning sign. We’re hoping with this research more doctors will become aware there are tools that can measure subtle changes over time and possibly help patients and families protect their loved ones and their finances.”
Doraiswamy also noted that with the expected rise in Alzheimer's cases, and with older U.S. adults holding an estimated $18 trillion in wealth, the repercussions of the disease could give rise to a "perfect storm" unless the medical and financial communities take action.
"There is very little consensus in the financial community as to what should be done when people have these kinds of problems," he told Financial Advisor. "It's important for experts from the medical and [financial] fields to come up with policies" to deal with the problem.