The Australian journal of rural health
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Aust J Rural Health · Apr 2020
Decision-making capacity assessment for confused patients in a regional hospital: A before and after study.
Clinicians are challenged to decide when and how to conduct decision-making capacity assessment and guardianship applications for confused hospitalised older patients. This study aimed to understand the characteristics of confused hospitalised older patients who require decision-making capacity assessment and guardianship applications and to determine the impact of a locally introduced capacity testing procedure on the conduct of decision-making capacity assessment and guardianship application in a regional hospital setting. ⋯ Implementation of capacity testing procedure is likely to have contributed to the positive changes in the conduct of decision-making capacity assessment and guardianship application process for confused hospitalised older patients. This study provides some evidence of decision-making capacity assessment process gaps; and indicates clinical and demographic characteristics of confused hospitalised older patients who might require decision-making capacity assessment and guardianship applications. The evidence of lack of appropriate future care-planning for ageing patients and increasing hospital admissions of confused hospitalised older patients presents future challenges in rural health.