[In Process Citation].
The accelerated aging of the Canadian population is a recognized fact and leads to an increasing number of seniors with cognitive impairments (Curateur public du Québec, 2010a). This has a definite impact on health professionals who have to assess their competency to live independently and manage their finances. This decision, which has important consequences for the person, must be based on an objective and rigorous assessment. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the available tools, both in the scientific literature and in clinical settings, to better document the various components to assess seniors' competency to live independently and manage their finances. The goal is to help practitioners who work with older people with cognitive impairments to accurately assess their ability to manage themselves and their property. A review of the relevant literature and training available, as well as three group consultations, showed that there is no consensus about the tools used to assess the capacity to take care of oneself and one's property. Additional studies are thus needed to fill the gap in knowledge about specific tools used to assess competency.
Département de réadaptation, Faculté de medicine, Québec, QC G1V 0A6. dominique.giroux@fmed.ulaval.ca
Dominique
D
Giroux
Département de réadaptation, Faculté de médecine, Université Laval Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherche en Réadaptation et Intégration Sociale Université Laval, Québec.
Sylvie
S
Tétreault
Département des relations industrielles, Faculté des sciences sociales, Université Laval Canada.
Lyse
L
Langlois
D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D002170:Canada; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D057187:Independent Living; D016743:Mental Competency / Q000523:psychology*; D011157:Population Dynamics