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.
Myers Research Institute of Menorah Park Center for the Aging, Beachwood, OH 44122, USA.
R A
RA
Pruchno
M A
MA
Smyer
M S
MS
Rose
P E
PE
Hartman-Stein
D L
DL
Henderson-Laribee
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