title: The Lichtenberg Financial Decision Screening Scale (LFDSS): A new tool for assessing financial decision making and preventing financial exploitation.
abstract: One of the challenges in preventing the financial exploitation of older adults is that neither criminal justice nor noncriminal justice professionals are equipped to detect capacity deficits. Because decision-making capacity is a cornerstone assessment in cases of financial exploitation, effective instruments for measuring this capacity are essential. We introduce a new screening scale for financial decision making that can be administered to older adults. To explore the scale's implementation and assess construct validity, we conducted a pilot study of 29 older adults seen by APS (Adult Protective Services) workers and 79 seen by other professionals. Case examples are included.
authors.affiliation: a Institute of Gerontology , Wayne State University , Detroit , Michigan , USA.|b Department of Psychology , Wayne State University , Detroit , Michigan , USA.
authors.forename: Peter A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Lichtenberg
authors.affiliation: a Institute of Gerontology , Wayne State University , Detroit , Michigan , USA.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ficker
authors.affiliation: a Institute of Gerontology , Wayne State University , Detroit , Michigan , USA.|b Department of Psychology , Wayne State University , Detroit , Michigan , USA.
authors.forename: Analise
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rahman-Filipiak
authors.affiliation: c Center for Elder Rights Advocacy , Elder Law of Michigan , Lansing , Michigan , USA.
authors.forename: Ron
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tatro
authors.affiliation: d Aging and Adult Services, Adult Protective Services , State of Michigan Department of Health and Human Services , Lansing , Michigan , USA.
authors.forename: Cynthia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Farrell
authors.affiliation: e Speir Financial Services , Southfield , Michigan , USA.
authors.forename: James J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Speir
authors.affiliation: f Mall, Malisow and Cooney, PC , Farmington Hills , Michigan , USA.
authors.forename: Sanford J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Mall
authors.affiliation: g Simasko and Simasko Law Firm , Mount Clemens , Michigan , USA.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Simasko
authors.affiliation: h Galloway and Collens, PLLC , Huntington Woods , Michigan , USA.
authors.forename: Howard H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Collens
authors.affiliation: i i Private Practice Cardiologist (Ret.) , Tyler , Texas , USA.
authors.forename: John Daniel
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Jackman
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003071:Cognition; D003416:Criminal Law; D003657:Decision Making; D004552:Elder Abuse / Q000191:economics* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Financial decision making; financial exploitation; financial judgment; protective services