Understanding Decisional Capacities of Older Adults
Channel: APS Technical Assistance Resource Center
Date: 2023-12-11

Capacity assessments of older adults are steeped in the fundamental tensions between two core ethical principles: autonomy (self-determination) and protection (beneficence). APS caseworkers must often consider the impact of cognitive functioning on a person’s risk for elder abuse, exploitation, and neglect. In this webinar, Dr. Sheri Gibson addressed the very complex topic of decisional capacities in older adults, which involves knowledge of medical and psychological syndromes, clinical assessment, ethics, and the law. Attendees learned a conceptual framework used by psychologists to assess a person’s ability to make decisions or perform tasks as they pertain to the legal standards, and methods for enhancing the referral process for a formal capacity evaluation.