Competence of long-term care residents to participate in decisions about their medical care: a brief, objective assessment.
Data from 50 residents of a long-term care facility were used to examine the extent to which performance on a brief, objective inventory could predict a clinical psychologist's evaluation of competence to participate in decisions about medical care. Results indicate that the competence to participate in medical decisions of two-thirds of the residents could be accurately assessed using scores on a mental status instrument and two vignette-based measures of medical decision-making. These procedures could enable nursing home staff to objectively assess the competence of residents to participate in important decisions about their medical care.
Pruchno
R A
RA
Myers Research Institute of Menorah Park Center for the Aging, Beachwood, OH 44122, USA.
Smyer
M A
MA
Rose
M S
MS
Hartman-Stein
P E
PE
Henderson-Laribee
D L
DL
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006707:Homes for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends; D008297:Male; D016743:Mental Competency; D009735:Nursing Homes; D012044:Regression Analysis