Who Should Decide?
Sep 5th, 2008 by Jeannie Krause-Taylor
I just returned from the annual state conference for the Missouri Association of Homes for the Aging (MoAHA) at the Lake of the Ozarks. I was honored to be invited as a guest speaker on the topic of Decisional Capacity - how to determine when someone is too incapacitated to be able to make their own decisions. This is a topic that often arises with older adults and people with disabilities. It is often difficult because it is subjective, and we vascillate between wanting to preserve the automony of older adults and protect them from harm.
I invite your comments on how you determine this and weigh the risks vs. benefits of these type of decisions.
There are so many important decisions to be made as
our loved ones grow older or become unable to make decisions on their own. I feel it is important include the person in the desisions as much as possible. With my mother I always tried to come up with two options at a time which I knew would both be acceptable if chosen. I then visited with her about them and let her make her choice. I realize this cannot always be done but when possible I found she always felt good about the change because she chose for herself and no one MADE her make the change that was needed.