Decision-Making Capacity Among Elderly People: A Mapping of Health Professionals' and Laypeople's Views.

The views of laypeople and professionals (nurses, occupational therapists, psychologists, and physicians) on the capacity to make informed decisions of elderly people with depression or dementia were examined. Participants were presented with vignettes created by varying the levels of three factors: (a) the type of decision (e.g., agreeing to surgery), (b) the health problem (e.g., slight depression), and (c) the availability of social support. Through cluster analysis, four different positions were found. Seventeen percent of the participants considered that even persons suffering from slight depression were already quite incapacitated. In contrast, 24% considered that only elderly people suffering from moderate or severe dementia were impaired. The majority of participants (59%) expressed positions that can be considered as pragmatic. Level of impairment was viewed as a function of severity of illness or type of illness. No significant differences were found between health professional and laypeople.