title: Assessing capacity in suspected cases of self-neglect.
abstract: Self-neglect is a serious and burgeoning public health challenge representing the most common problem faced by Adult Protective Services agencies. Among older adults who are vulnerable to self-neglect, the capacity to make decisions may remain intact. However, the capacity to identify and extract oneself from harmful situations, circumstances, or relationships may be diminished. A key ethical and clinical branch point in identifying older adults at risk for self-neglect involves determining whether the individual can both make and implement decisions regarding personal needs, health, and safety. The Articulate --> Demonstrate method is a practical and efficient way to screen capacity in the setting of suspected self-neglect. Once self-neglect has been identified, common clinical interventions can be targeted to the diagnosed deficits that foster vulnerability to neglect in older adults.
authors.affiliation: Harris County Hospital District, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Aanand D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Naik
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Mark E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Kunik
authors.forename: Carmel B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Dyer
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003657:Decision Making; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004552:Elder Abuse; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016743:Mental Competency; D012648:Self Care / Q000523:psychology*