What are the boundaries of legal guardianship in Alzheimer's disease? An evidence-based update in the context of the Brazilian Civil Code.
The Brazilian Civil Code, which came into force in 2002, established a functional criterion for guardianship proceedings and introduced the concept of "limited guardianship," applied to cases in which incapacity to exercise civil rights is partial. With population aging and the growth in the number of older people with cognitive impairments, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), the need to invoke legal remedies against elder abuse increased; however, difficulties in assessing capacity still lead to a majority of decisions in favor of plenary guardianship. The present article compiled data on capacity in AD subjects. The varying degrees of decision-making impairment at different stages of AD might be compatible with limited guardianship in milder cases of the disease.
Grupo de Apoio Técnico Especializado (GATE), Ministério Público do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (MPRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
Felipe K
FK
Sudo
Grupo de Apoio Técnico Especializado (GATE), Ministério Público do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (MPRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
Ana C
AC
Salles
Grupo de Apoio Técnico Especializado (GATE), Ministério Público do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (MPRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
Clarisse R
CR
de Santiago
D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000145:classification / Q000523:psychology*; D001938:Brazil; D002961:Civil Rights / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D003657:Decision Making; D006801:Humans; D007872:Legal Guardians / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D016743:Mental Competency / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence