title: Substituted decision making: elder guardianship.
abstract: The goal of this column is to help experienced clinicians navigate the judicial system when they are confronted with requests for capacity evaluations that involve guardianship (conservatorship). The interface between the growing elderly medical population and increasing requests for substituted decision making is becoming more complex. This column will help practicing psychiatrists understand the medical, legal, and societal factors involved in adult guardianship. Such understanding is necessary in order to effectively perform guardianship evaluations and adequately inform courts, patients, and families about the psychiatric diagnoses central to substituted decision making.
authors.affiliation: *Board certified geriatric psychiatrist in solo private practice daggerNeuropsychologist specializing in dementia. Together, they founded Dignity First, Inc., San Antonio, TX, which is dedicated to training caregivers of elders with dementia.
authors.forename: Martha E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Leatherman
authors.forename: Katherine E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Goethe
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003219:Confidentiality / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D005190:Family; D005251:Fees, Medical; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D007872:Legal Guardians / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D016743:Mental Competency / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy; D010819:Physician's Role; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D014481:United States