[Representative wants to act for a legally capable patient; what constitutes appropriate representation of vulnerable people?]

Here we present the case of a nursing home physician observing a patient representative - although legally appointed by a judge to fulfil said role - overextending her role on behalf of a patient with early stage vascular dementia. One example of this involves the representative wanting to represent the patient in circumstances in which the patient herself is mentally competent in the opinion of the doctor. This case scenario serves as an introduction of the nuance around the Dutch legal system and the topic of representation: the representative has to promote that the patient will personally exert his/her rights of autonomy and self-determination.