Who should decide? Residence capacity evaluation of a cognitively impaired older adult requesting an “unsafe” discharge to home

Psychiatrists are routinely consulted to determine decisional capacity for elderly patients with cognitive impairment who refuse a safe discharge to a nursing facility and want to return home. The medical team pursuing this discharge plan is often narrowly focused on a patient ′s physical safety. Psychiatric consultants should take a holistic view of the discharge options and consider the physical, medical, psychological, social, and emotional risks and benefits of each discharge option. The psychiatrist can then apply the sliding scale of decisional capacity more effec tively.
Source: Psychosomatics - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Source Type: research