Impaired decision making can lead to increased risk for abuse and exploitation amongst the elderly. The National Center on Elder Abuse released a new research to practice brief which provides an overview of the various factors which can impact the decision making of older persons. The introduction to the brief states:
“There are many factors relevant to decision-making ability of older people including changes in the brain and cognition and social functioning. These changes can result in decision-making impairments that affect an older person’s ability to pay bills, drive, follow recipes, adhere to medication schedules, or refuse medical treatment (Braun & Moye, 2010; IOM, 2015). Decision-making ability may fluctuate at a given point in time (Falk et al., 2014), and while an older person may lack decision-making ability in one area, they may retain it in other areas (Braun & Moye, 2010). Decision-making ability is of special concern for the field of elder mistreatment because impaired decision-making can lead to an increased risk for abuse and exploitation among older people (Spreng et al., 2016). Thus, understanding the many factors relevant to decision-making ability is imperative to reduce risk of abuse and exploitation while maintaining and promoting autonomy among older people.”
Understanding and assessing the decision-making ability of a loved one can lead to the proper implementation of protection for the loved one, such as durable powers of attorney or guardian and conservatorship. Be sure to consult with a qualified elder law attorney for help in protecting your loved one.