Missed Payments, Early Signals: Dr. Lauren Nicholas on Dementia and Money

In this episode of Talking Dementia, Dr. Emily Silverman speaks with Lauren Hersch Nicholas, PhD, MPP, a health economist and Professor of Geriatric Medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine, and a leading expert on the financial symptoms of dementia.

Lauren shares what drew her to this work and walks through what the data show: across credit reports, wealth surveys, and retirement portfolios, missed payments, falling credit scores, and shrinking assets appear six to seven years before the clinical symptoms of dementia are recognized. She and Emily discuss whether banks or doctors could ever flag these changes early, the privacy concerns that stand in the way, and the tools families can use today to protect a loved one's finances without taking away their independence. They close with who is most at risk and Lauren's ideas for policy changes that could make retirement safer for everyone.

About this episode's featured guest

Lauren Hersch Nicholas, PhD, MPP, is a Professor in the Division of Geriatric Medicine at the CU Anschutz School of Medicine and core faculty at the Center for Bioethics and Humanities. Her research uses survey, clinical, and consumer credit data to study how public policy shapes health and economic outcomes for older adults, with a focus on dementia and end-of-life care. Her work on the financial presentation of dementia, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post.

About Remo's host Dr. Emily Silverman

Dr. Emily Silverman is an internal-medicine physician, Assistant Volunteer Professor of Medicine at UCSF. She is the creator and host of The Nocturnists, an award-winning medical storytelling program that has uplifted the voices of more than 450 clinicians since 2016 through its podcast and live performances. Her work has been supported by a MacDowell fellowship and widely published in numerous publications including JAMA, The New York Times, and NPR. Learn more about Emily by visiting her website.

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The information in this podcast is for general informational purposes only and is not the practice of medicine or any profession. It is not intended to be medical advice and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.