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Financial Support & Dementia Care

1. Introduction & Context

Tom Dickson opened the webinar with a focus on the intersection of dementia care and financial decision-making, welcoming:

• Denise Brown, caregiving consultant and founder of the Certified Caregiving Consultant (CCC) program
• Dr. Eric Jutkowitz, Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota and co-founder of Plans for Care

Tom referenced a Wall Street Journal article highlighting the emotional and financial consequences of dementia on families, underscoring the urgency of early planning.

2. Denise Brown: Supporting Family Caregivers

Denise has supported caregivers since 1990 and created the Certified Caregiving Consultant (CCC) program in 2016, a 106-hour professional training to equip consultants to guide family caregivers.

Key points from Denise:

• Many caregivers struggle without structured guidance.
• Caregiving requires emotional support, planning, and financial vigilance.
• Consultants help families recognize declining abilities and develop personalized care plans.

Her coaching model often integrates financial review, stress management, and care execution planning.

3. Dr. Eric Jutkowitz: Research, CMS GUIDE Program & Plans for Care

Eric explained his research background in dementia care interventions and the difficulty of scaling evidence-based programs beyond university settings. To solve for this, he co-founded Plans for Care in 2023.
 

3.1 CMS GUIDE Model

The GUIDE Model (Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience) is a Medicare demonstration program that:

• Pays providers through Monthly Care Management Payments (MCMP)
• Supports care navigation, caregiver training, and respite care
• Applies only to Traditional Medicare (NOT Medicare Advantage)

External fact-check URL:
CMS GUIDE Model Overview
https://www.cms.gov/priorities/innovation/innovation-models/guide

4. The Everyday Function Scale (EFS)

The centerpiece of this webinar was Eric’s Everyday Function Scale (EFS) — a validated assessment tool based on the Allen Cognitive Disabilities Model, used to evaluate cognitive functioning for people with dementia.

4.1 Purpose of the EFS

• Helps caregivers understand what the person can still do
• Identifies where support is needed
• Flags financial management vulnerabilities
• Offers structured insight versus subjective judgment

4.2 Structure of EFS

• ~10 branching-logic questions (1–10 minutes completion time)
• Produces a score corresponding to one of 8 cognitive functioning levels (early → late stage)

• Validated by occupational therapists

   

4.3 External Fact-Check URLs

Allen Cognitive Disabilities Model (ACDM)
https://research.aota.org/ajot/article/74/3/7403205120p1/6981

Overview of Functional Cognition Assessments (NIH)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5376322/

5. EFS & Financial Management: How Cognitive Changes Show Up Early

Eric explained that money-management decline appears early in the dementia process, often before diagnosis.

Examples by Cognitive Level:

6. Case Study: “Helen & Steve”

Denise shared a practical application:

• Helen believed her husband Steve (care recipient) was still managing finances well.
• EFS revealed he had actually declined two functional levels.
• Insight: Steve could still manage finances with help, but needed:
  • Monthly review of statements
  • Joint-access filing system
  • Involvement of adult sons

This case showed the EFS can shift caregivers from "It seems fine" to objective clarity.

7. Financial Abuse & Scam Prevention

Denise and Tom emphasized how dementia increases vulnerability to:

• Online scams
• Check washing
• Bank account misuse
• Amazon/QVC-style compulsive ordering
• Family-member exploitation
   

Tom stressed:

• Credit freezes
• Power of attorney
• Surveillance systems like EverSafe (https://www.eversafe.com)
   

External Fact-Check URLs

Elder fraud statistics — FBI
https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/safety-resources/scams-and-safety/elder-fraud

FTC Elder Financial Exploitation Data
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/data-visualizations/data-spotlight/older-adults-report-billions-losses-scams

AARP BankSafe Training for Advisors
https://banksafe.aarp.org/

8. Using EFS in Advisory Practice

Two access methods:

1. Through Certified Caregiving Consultants (CCCs)
   • CCCs use the EFS in care-planning sessions
   • Can refer findings back to financial planners
     
      
2. Direct Subscription
   • EFS software costs $30 per staff member per month
   • Larger organizations eligible for volume pricing
      

9. Regulatory & Ethical Guidance

Denise highlighted compliance reminders:

• Do not diagnose
• Document conversations
• Follow firm policy for diminished capacity
• Maintain privacy and confidentiality
• Recognize increased scam risk
  
   

External Fact-Check URLs

FINRA “Cognitive Decline & Diminished Capacity” Guidance
https://www.finra.org/investors/learn-to-invest/avoid-fraud/diminished-capacity

CFP Board Guidance on Diminished Capacity
https://www.cfp.net/ethics/compliance-resources/client-with-diminished-capacity

10. Q&A Highlights

Key questions included:

10.1 Alzheimer’s Hotline

Denise confirmed its value as a 24/7 emotional and practical support line.

External URLs:
Alzheimer’s Association 24/7 Helpline
https://www.alz.org/help-support/resources/helpline

Alzheimer’s Foundation of America Helpline
https://alzfdn.org/afa-helpline/

10.2 Progression of Dementia Stages

Eric explained that progression is not linear, varies by dementia type, comorbidities, and medications.
 

External URLs:
National Institute on Aging — Types & Progression of Dementia
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/understanding-different-types-dementia

10.3 Using EFS Without a Diagnosis

EFS can be used even before clinical diagnosis when caregivers notice concerns.
 

11. Comprehensive Fact-Check URL List

Medicare & CMS

CMS GUIDE Model
https://www.cms.gov/priorities/innovation/innovation-models/guide

Medicare & Dementia Care Resources
https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/dementia-care

Dementia Care & Cognitive Assessment

NIH Functional Cognition
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5376322/

Allen Cognitive Disabilities Model
https://research.aota.org/ajot/article/74/3/7403205120p1/6981

Caregiver Support

Alzheimer’s Association 24/7 Helpline
https://www.alz.org/help-support/resources/helpline

Alzheimer’s Foundation of America
https://alzfdn.org

Family Caregiver Alliance
https://www.caregiver.org

Financial Exploitation & Protection

FBI Elder Fraud
https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/safety-resources/scams-and-safety/elder-fraud

FTC Older Adult Scam Data
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/data-visualizations/data-spotlight/older-adults-report-billions-losses-scams

AARP BankSafe for Advisors
https://banksafe.aarp.org

EverSafe Financial Monitoring
https://www.eversafe.com

Financial Advisory Compliance

FINRA Diminished Capacity Guidance
https://www.finra.org/investors/learn-to-invest/avoid-fraud/diminished-capacity

CFP Board – Clients with Diminished Capacity
https://www.cfp.net/ethics/compliance-resources/client-with-diminished-capacity

12. Action Items

☐ Provide information on subscribing to EFS software from Plans for Care
☐ Share details about Denise Brown’s Certified Caregiving Consultant training
☐ Consider integrating EFS into client intake for older clients
☐ Develop a workflow for detecting diminished capacity and caregiver stress
☐ Explore partnerships with caregiving coaches for high-need client households
☐ Share scam-prevention tools with vulnerable clients (EverSafe, credit freezes, etc.)