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Decision-making capacity to execute a health care proxy: development and testing of guidelines
Author(s)Mathy Mezey, Jeanne Teresi, Gloria Ramsey
Journal titleJournal of the American Geriatrics Society, vol 48, no 2, February 2000
Pagespp 179-187
KeywordsCognitive processes ; Medical care ; Terminal care ; Rights [elderly] ; United States of America.
AnnotationOlder people with impaired decision-making capacity are often called on to make decisions, for example, to sign a consent to treatment or to execute an advance directive (health care proxy (HCP) and/or living will). This study evaluated the reliability and validity of guidelines to determine the capacity of 200 nursing home residents to execute an HCP. Results showed that 73% of the participants, of whom three-quarters were cognitively impaired, showed evidence of sufficient capacity to execute an HCP. Of residents with severe cognitive impairment, the HCP guidelines were potentially useful in identifying those with the capacity to execute an HCP. The findings indicated that the guidelines are more predictive than the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) in identifying residents able to execute an HCP. (AKM).
Accession NumberCPA-000502406 A
ClassmarkDA: LK: LV: IKR: 7T

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