ABSTRACT
This practical, how-to handbook provides essential resources to help clinicians and other professionals assess mental capacity in key decisions. The book illustrates the basics of capacity assessments before discussing a variety of complex issues of which professionals will need to be aware. Offering expertise from a multi-disciplinary perspective, the book provides hands-on coverage of mental capacity law (concentrating on England and Wales).
This book is accompanied by online resources including semi-structured interviews and a multi-disciplinary team (MDT) questionnaire which can be downloaded and used for clinical cases, as well as further examples, information and tips. Please visit www.assessingcapacity.com.
Chapters are written by a variety of different professionals with extensive experience in the assessment of mental capacity. Coverage includes:
- Explanations of mental capacity law and how to put it into practice across a range of settings, services and populations
- A "how to" approach for administering assessments of mental capacity both for professionals who are new to the area and for more experienced professionals
- Information on practical aspects of assessing mental capacity for commonly occurring decisions and for more specialist and complex decisions
- Consideration of the best interests process and Liberty Protection Safeguards (LPS).
With easily accessible information, case studies, examples from case law and internationally relevant discussions on ethical issues, this is the perfect companion to help busy professionals understand complex concepts relating to mental capacity.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part 1|50 pages
Getting started
chapter Chapter 2|10 pages
Some basic concepts of the Mental Capacity Act (2005)
part 2|91 pages
Factors to consider
chapter Chapter 5|10 pages
Psychosocial aspects of decision-making and the assessment of mental capacity
chapter Chapter 6|9 pages
A functional perspective to information-gathering, risk assessment and insight-building
chapter Chapter 7|12 pages
Information relevant to the decision
part 3|92 pages
Specific decisions and conditions
chapter Chapter 16|8 pages
Assessing capacity in relation to a change of residence or accommodation and care needs
chapter Chapter 20|14 pages
The Courtroom
chapter Chapter 21|10 pages
Assessing the mental capacity of people living with dementia
part 4|67 pages
Complex situations
chapter Chapter 22|14 pages
What to do when someone says one thing, but does another
chapter Chapter 25|9 pages
Mental capacity assessment
part 5|40 pages
Issues related to the Mental Capacity Act (2005)
chapter Chapter 28|13 pages
Capacity assessment, deprivation of liberty and the Liberty Protection Safeguards
part 6|25 pages
Additional considerations