Can Dementia Make People Forget How To Write Checks
Dementia is a condition that affects the brain in many different ways. One of the most noticeable changes happens with memory, but there is much more to it than just forgetting where you put your keys. The disease can actually affect a person’s ability to do everyday tasks that they have done for decades without thinking twice. Writing a check is one of those tasks that many people do regularly, and dementia can absolutely interfere with this ability.
To understand how dementia affects check writing, we first need to understand what happens in the brain when someone has dementia. The condition damages brain cells and causes them to stop working properly. This damage spreads over time, affecting different parts of the brain that control different functions. Some parts of the brain control memory, while other parts control the ability to plan, organize, and complete complex tasks. When these areas are damaged, a person loses the ability to do things they once did automatically.
Writing a check involves several different brain functions working together at the same time. First, a person needs to remember how to write. They need to understand the purpose of a check and what information goes where. They need to be able to read the numbers and words on the check. They need to remember the current date. They need to know how much money they are spending and be able to write that amount in both numbers and words. They need to remember who they are paying and be able to write that name correctly. Finally, they need to sign their name in the right place. All of these steps require coordination between different parts of the brain.
Dementia disrupts this coordination. One of the earliest signs of dementia is difficulty with tasks that require planning and problem solving. Research shows that people with mild dementia might start struggling with money and managing their finances [1]. This is not just about remembering how much money they have. It is about the actual process of handling money and paying bills. When someone cannot manage their finances properly, writing checks becomes very difficult or impossible.
The language problems that come with dementia also make check writing harder. Dementia can cause trouble finding the right words and difficulty understanding complex sentences [2]. When a person is trying to write a check, they need to write the name of the person or business they are paying. If they cannot remember or find the right words, they cannot complete this part of the check. Some types of dementia, like frontotemporal dementia, specifically affect communication and language abilities [1]. These problems with language make it very hard to write checks correctly.
Visual and spatial problems are another way dementia interferes with check writing. Dementia can affect a person’s vision and their ability to understand what they see and interpret the relationship between objects in space [2]. When someone is writing a check, they need to see the check clearly and understand where each piece of information goes. They need to know where to write the date, where to write the amount, where to write the name of the person being paid, and where to sign. If their visual-spatial awareness is damaged, they might write in the wrong places on the check. They might write too high or too low. They might not be able to find the right lines to write on.
Memory loss is the most obvious way dementia affects check writing. Early on, forgetfulness could be mild, affecting memory for places or things that have happened in the past [1]. But as dementia progresses, memory loss gets worse. A person might forget what a check is used for. They might forget how to write one. They might forget the current date, which is required on every check. They might forget how much money they are supposed to be paying. They might forget who they are paying. They might even forget that they already wrote a check for the same bill, leading them to write multiple checks for the same amount.
The ability to concentrate is also affected by dementia. People with dementia often have difficulty concentrating on daily tasks [1]. Writing a check requires sustained attention and focus. A person needs to stay focused on the task from beginning to end. If they get distracted or lose focus, they might make mistakes or forget what they were doing in the middle of the process. They might start writing a check and then forget why they started or what they were supposed to be writing.
Decision making and reasoning abilities are significantly diminished by dementia [3]. Writing a check involves making decisions about how much to pay and who to pay. It involves reasoning about whether the check is correct before signing it. When these abilities are lost, a person cannot make these decisions anymore. They might write a check for the wrong amount. They might write a check to the wrong person. They might not be able to figure out if they made a mistake.
One important thing to understand is that dementia does not just affect memory. It affects the ability to do complex tasks that require multiple steps. Experts explain that people typically do not just stop doing things, and often these changes are changes that are associated with dementia [2]. When someone stops paying bills or managing their finances, this is a sign that something is wrong with their brain function. Writing checks is part of managing finances, so when dementia develops, check writing is one of the first things that becomes difficult.
The progression of dementia matters when thinking about check writing. In the early stages, a person might make small mistakes when writing checks. They might write the wrong date or forget to fill in one part of the check. They might write the amount in numbers but forget to write it in words, or vice versa. As dementia progresses, the mistakes get worse. Eventually, a person might not be able to write a check at all. They might not remember what a check is or why they are supposed to be writing one.
Different types of dementia can affect check writing in different ways. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia, and it affects memory and thinking abilities [1]. This makes it hard to remember how to write a check and hard to remember the information that needs to go on the check. Other types of dementia affect different parts of the brain. Frontotemporal dementia affects language and communication [1]. This makes it hard to write the words that need to go on a check. Dementia with Lewy bodies can affect vision and visual-spatial awareness [2]. This makes it hard to see the check clearly and understand where to write on it.
The impact of dementia on check writing is not just about the person with dementia. It affects their family members and caregivers too. When someone can no longer write checks, someone else has to take over this responsibility. This is one of the reasons why early detection of dementia is so important. If dementia is caught early, family members can start helping with finances before the person with dementia makes serious mistakes that could cause financial problems.
There are other signs that dementia is affecting a person’s ability to handle finances and write checks. If someone stops cooking, stops managing medications, or misses paying bills, this is concerning [2]. These are all signs that the person
