Planning vs. Implementation: how compensatory strategies influence prospective memory success in older adults with subjective cognitive concerns

Older adults with subjective cognitive complaints (SCC) report memory difficulties that may signal future cognitive decline. This study examined how compensatory strategies impact prospective memory-the ability to remember future intentions-in this at-risk group. We evaluated the performance of 296 older adults with SCC on short-term (<30 minutes) and long-term (hours to days) time- and event-based prospective memory tasks, tracking both planned and implemented (used) compensatory strategies (e.g. written note, phone alarm). For short-term tasks, both planned and used compensation significantly predicted performance on an event-based task, whereas only compensation used at the time of task execution-such as referring to a clock-predicted success on a time-based task. These benefits of compensation were significant even when accounting for global cognition. Furthermore, planned strategies for short-term tasks strongly predicted the strategies that participants actually used, highlighting the importance of initial planning. Compensatory strategies that significantly predicted performance included writing a note, placing the note in a visible location, and entering information into an electronic device. Neither cognition nor planned compensation predicted long-term prospective memory performance, suggesting that prospective memory success in this population may depend more on the effective implementation of strategies in daily life (which we could not observe) and/or environmental support than on cognitive abilities. These results highlight a significant opportunity for clinical intervention. Training individuals with SCC to effectively plan and implement compensatory strategies represents a non-pharmacological approach to mitigating everyday prospective memory challenges and preserving functional independence.