Webinar Spotlights Financial Red Flags, Caregiver Support

In its latest webinar, the Aging & Disabilities Department’s L.A. Found program examined why poor financial decisions may be an early warning sign of Alzheimer’s disease and highlighted services available to support caregivers.

Titled “Empowering Caregivers, Financial Red Flags, and Cognitive Health,” the webinar explored research led by USC’s Dr. Duke Han showing that susceptibility to scams, fraud, and financial exploitation may be one of the earliest indicators of Alzheimer’s disease.

“One thing that we know, based on our work so far, is that older adults who are starting to show cognitive impairment, but aren’t yet diagnosed with dementia, actually do seem to make poorer decisions in financial matters,” said Han, a Professor of Psychology and Family Medicine at the USC Dornsife College.

In one study, Dr. Han’s team surveyed 300 older adults to assess their susceptibility to scams, then conducted brain imaging on the same individuals.

“What we found was that older adults who rated higher on the susceptibility-to-scams measure had less gray matter density in the right hippocampus,” Dr. Han said. “What’s important about this brain region is that it’s also one of the first regions affected by Alzheimer’s disease.”

The second portion of the webinar focused on empowering caregivers.

Dr. Donna Benton, Director of the USC Family Caregiver Support Center and the Los Angeles Caregiver Resource Center (LACRC), spoke about the services her organization provides to help those caring for a loved one.

“We predominantly help people who are caring for an older adult with some type of brain-impairing condition, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s, ALS, or stroke,” Dr. Benton said. “But we also help people who may be caring for someone much younger, such as those recovering from a traumatic brain injury.”

Each client is connected with a family consultant who helps caregivers navigate available services and tailor a plan to meet their needs. Services include training to build confidence, counseling for emotional support, support groups, and financial assistance for brief in-home relief.

The final portion of the webinar provided an overview of the L.A. Found program itself, which assists caregivers by offering tracking devices to help locate a loved one who may wander off. The program provides free Project Lifesaver bracelets to qualified residents that emit a radio frequency signal law enforcement can track with specialized equipment.

L.A. Found recently began also offering the Theora Care GPS smartwatch as an alternative option. The device provides real-time location tracking, customizable virtual safety zones that alert caregivers when the wearer leaves the area, and an SOS button the wearer can use to call for help.

In her introduction to the webinar, Aging & Disabilities Department’s Interim Director Maral Karaccusian, MSW noted that November is both National Family Caregivers Month and Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month.

“This year’s theme for National Family Caregivers Month is ‘Plug in to Care,’ which reminds us that no caregiver should feel alone,” Karaccusian said.

She expressed her hope that viewers would leave the webinar “feeling informed, supported, and reassured, and most importantly, seen.”

“Many people don’t even realize they are caregivers,” Karaccusian added. “They’re just helping a parent, checking in on a neighbor, or being there for a loved one. But these acts matter, and they strengthen families in our community.”

Watch the recording here.