Grantee in the News: Duke Han, Mark Lachs, and Eric Widera on Age-Associated Financial Vulnerability
On October 12, 2015, Reuters profiled a new report entitled, “Age-Associated Financial Vulnerability” co-authored by 2012 Beeson Scholar Duke Han, PhD, and Board Member Mark Lachs, MD, MPH. The article also included insights from 2010-2011 Center of Excellence Fellow, Eric Widera, MD.
Due to factors including, cognitive or emotional decline; impairments in vision, hearing or mobility; serious progressive illness; and social isolation, older adults are at high risk for financial vulnerability. As Dr. Widera noted, financial impairment can also be associated with early signs of dementia. Dr. Han and Dr. Lachs hope that by coining the term “age-associated financial vulnerability” to describe the increased risk older adults’ face in terms of managing their financial health, they will help raise awareness of among members of the medical community.
The report which was originally published in Annals of Internal Medicine can be viewed here.
For more information on the relationship between financial vulnerability and cognitive decline read our Medical Officer Richard Besdine, MD’s, recent Huffington Post article, “Elder Financial Exploitation: A Crime AND a Serious Health Risk.”
Duke Han, PhD, is a diplomat of the American Board of Professional Psychology in clinical neuropsychology and an associate professor of behavioral sciences at the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center.
Mark Lachs, MD, MPH, is the Irene F. and I. Roy Psaty Distinguished Professor of Clinical Medicine, at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Eric Widera, MD, is an Associate Professor at the University of California, San Francisco.