How do lawyers and other non-clinicians recognize and address diminished capacity in providing professional services to individuals? Some might argue that without training in mental disorders of aging and methods of formal capacity evaluation, you should not be making determinations about capacity at all. Yet lawyers and other professionals unavoidably face situations in which they must at least screen for capacity, either in connection with representing the individual in transactional work, or in the context of a guardianship action or other litigation, or serving as a guardian. A preliminary assessment of capacity is either done by the seat of your pants or with some objective grounding.
This webinar will provide you with tools for objectively making preliminary assessments of capacity and undue influence, while balancing the competing goals of preserving autonomy and protecting vulnerable individuals. Participants will have online access to: Assessment of Older Adults With Diminished Capacity: A Handbook for Lawyers by the ABA Commission on Law and Aging and the American Psychological Association.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Diminished Capacity Webinar
The National Elder Rights Training Project is offering a series of webinars, sponsored by the National Consumer Law Center and a grant from the Administration on Aging. Next Wednesday, May 20, 2009 there is a free webinar on Dimished Capacity, at 2 p.m. EDT. See the Medical Futility blog for more information.
