Assessment of Decision-Making Capacity in Older Adults: An Emerging Area of Practice and Research

The convergence of the aging of our society, the increase in blended families, and an enormous intergenerational transfer of wealth has greatly expanded the incidence and importance of capacity assessment of older adults. In this article we discuss the emergence of capacity assessment as a distinct...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences Psychological sciences and social sciences, 2007-01, Vol.62 (1), p.P3-P11
Main Authors: Moye, Jennifer, Marson, Daniel C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Alzheimer Disease - diagnosis
Alzheimer Disease - psychology
Decision Making
Dementia - diagnosis
Dementia - psychology
Economics - legislation & jurisprudence
Geriatric Assessment
Humans
Informed Consent - legislation & jurisprudence
Mental Competency - legislation & jurisprudence
United States
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Summary:The convergence of the aging of our society, the increase in blended families, and an enormous intergenerational transfer of wealth has greatly expanded the incidence and importance of capacity assessment of older adults. In this article we discuss the emergence of capacity assessment as a distinct field of study. We review research efforts in two domains: medical decision-making capacity and financial capacity. Existing research in these two areas provides a first pass at many key questions related to capacity assessment, but additional studies that replicate, extend, and improve on this research are urgently needed. An agenda for future is detailed that recommends studies of a wide range of capacity constructs, focusing on clinical markers of diminished capacity, methods to improve clinical assessment, and the many intersections of law and clinical practice.
ISSN:1079-5014
1758-5368
DOI:10.1093/geronb/62.1.P3