The relationship between depression and cognition in older adults has become a topic of extensive research and clinical interest. Results of previous research are limited, however, by sampling and methodological problems. Small sample sizes and the treatment of depression as a dichotomous variable may be major factors that limit data interpretation in previous studies. The present sample of 220 geriatric medical patients was split into a validation and a cross-validation sample specifically to test the hypothesis that depression is an independent predictor of cognition. Multiple regression analyses, controlling for the direct effects of demographic factors, found that Geriatric Depression Scale scores were consistently a significant predictor of Dementia Rating Scale and Logical Memory scores. Overall, GDS scores accounted for approximately 8% of unique variance for both measures of cognition. Demographic factors, particularly age and race, were also significant predictors of cognitive test scores. These data were interpreted as providing support for the hypothesis that level of depression predicts level of cognitive functioning.

Financial exploitation, and particularly thefts and scams, are increasing at an alarming rate. In this study we (a) determined the national prevalence of older adults who report having been a victim of fraud, (b) created a population-based model for the prediction of fraud, and (c) examined how fraud is experienced by the most psychologically vulnerable older adults. The older adults studied were 4,400 participants in a Health and Retirement Study substudy, the 2008 Leave Behind Questionnaire. The prevalence of fraud across the previous 5 years was 4.5%. Among measures collected in 2002, age, education, and depression were significant predictors of fraud. Financial satisfaction and social-needs fulfillment were measured in 2008 and were significantly related to fraud above and beyond the 2002 predictors. Using depression and social-needs fulfillment to determine the most psychologically vulnerable older adults, we found that fraud prevalence was three times higher (14%) among those with the highest depression and the lowest social-needs fulfillment than among the rest of the sample (4.1%; χ2 = 20.49; p < .001). Clinical gerontologists and other professionals in the field need to be aware of their psychologically vulnerable clients heightened exposure to financial fraud.

Targeted outreach to underrepresented groups to build a registry of volunteers for health research may be a promising strategy for addressing recruitment disparities in African Americans' research participation.

Depression and cognitive impairment are independent predictors of one-year mortality in this subgroup of medically ill older adults.

Financial exploitation and financial capacity issues often overlap when a gerontologist assesses whether an older adult’s financial decision is an autonomous, capable choice. Our goal is to describe a new conceptual model for assessing financial decisions using principles of person-centered approaches and to introduce a new instrument, the Lichtenberg Financial Decision Rating Scale (LFDRS). We created a conceptual model, convened meetings of experts from various disciplines to critique the model and provide input on content and structure, and select final items. We then videotaped administration of the LFDRS to five older adults and had 10 experts provide independent ratings. The LFDRS demonstrated good to excellent inter-rater agreement. The LFDRS is a new tool that allows gerontologists to systematically gather information about a specific financial decision and the decisional abilities in question.