Question

Describe the process of evaluating decision-making capacity in older adults and apply shared decision making to clinical situations in Long Term Care.

Answer 1

Old age or late adulthood refers to increase in age and taking a step towards the end of this life. When it starts it comes along with various different types of issues in the body of an individual. With every passing day, the elderly person may develop one or the other problems with their body because of the aging process or the degenerative process. This process effects all the system of the body including their psychological ability. A person will loose his or her grip on the psychological difficulties that he may be facing with it. The people may have a little deviation in their thinking, gaining knowledge or the ability to make any kinds of decision by their own. They might not be able to make any kind of right decision due to certain problems which will be faced by them during this phase of their lives.

We need to evaluate their ability to make any kinds of decision for themselves in order to know their ability to lead a proper life. It can be evaluated by using various methods like:

- looking or evaluating the result of the decision

- checking for their decisions which are to be made

- asking them about the basis of which the decisions are being made

- identifying the way or method used to make any kinds of decisions by them etc.

The adults can be properly and very carefully dealt with their decision making as they might not be fully able to do so for themselves and their family memebers. In situations where they are to be treated for a long term illness it is always proven that the state of mind of the adults at such time will not be proper hence the family memebers along with the group of health agency should form a group and help the adult to make a wise and proper decision for himself. It should be communicated thoroughly and affectively to all the parties and the adult should be properly counselling about the decisions being made and the group of the decision makers should be according to his wish.