010 – How to Know if Your Aging Parent Should Still be Making Decisions

In This Episode:

Dr. K explains what all family caregivers should know about decision-making capacity, especially if there’s a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or another type of dementia. Plus how incapacity is confirmed to activate a power of attorney.

She covers:

• How to recognize signs of “mental incompetence”
• 4 decision-making abilities needed for capacity
• Why capacity is decision-specific
• Incapacity vs incompetence
• How to get an older person’s decision-making capacity assessed by professional
• How to activate a “springing” power of attorney

Related episode: 

009 – If Your Aging Parent is Resisting a Memory Loss Evaluation

Related Resources:

• Dr. Kernisan’s book: When Your Aging Parent Needs Help: A geriatrician’s step-by-step guide to memory loss, resistance, safety worries & more
• Incompetence & Losing Capacity: Answers to 8 FAQs
• What You Can Do if You’re Worried About “Incompetence”