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Obtaining Informed Consent from Continuing Care Residents: Issues and Recommendations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 November 2010

Liza Stelmach ,
Candace Konnert  and
Keith Dobson
Liza Stelmach
Affiliation:
University of Calgary
Candace Konnert
Affiliation:
University of Calgary
Keith Dobson
Affiliation:
University of Calgary
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Abstract

As the number of older adults residing in continuing care facilities increases, mental health professionals will provide more services and conduct more research in this setting. Mental health professionals working with continuing care residents will find themselves regularly challenged by ethical issues, particularly obtaining informed consent. Characteristics of the continuing care setting and residents make obtaining informed consent especially challenging. Mental health professionals must overcome these challenges in order to fulfill the following three requirements of informed consent: (1) the client is competent, (2) the client is provided with sufficient information, and (3) the client has not been coerced and/or the consent is voluntary. This article will examine the issues surrounding the fulfillment of these requirements in a continuing care facility, and will provide suggestions and guidelines that mental health professionals can utilize during the informed consent process.

Résumé

Au fur et à mesure de l'augmentation du nombre d'ainé(e)s dans les établissements de soins de longue durée, les professionnel(le)s de la santé mentale fourniront plus de services et mèneront plus d'enquêtes dans ce milieu. Les professionnel(le)s de la santé mentale s'occupant de patients nécessitant des soins de longue durée se retrouveront régubèrement aux prises avec des questions de morale, surtout en matière de consentement éclairé. Les caractéristiques du milieu des soins de longue durée et de ses résidents rendent le consentement éclairé particulièrement délicat. Les professionnels de la santé mentale doivent relever les défis qui s'y relient pour respecter les critères suivants du consentement éclairé: (1) le client est compétent, (2) le client dispose de toute l'information nécessaire, et (3) le client n'a pas été contraint et/ou le consentement est volontaire. L'article examine la question de ces critères dans un milieu de soins de longue durée et propose des suggestions et des directives à utiliser par les professionnels de la santé mentale qui ont à obtenir un consentement éclairé.

Keywords

Informed ConsentContinuing Care ResidentsEthical Guidelines.Consentement éclairérésidents des soins continusdirectives de morale.
Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 20 , Issue 3 , Automne/Fall 2001 , pp. 385 - 406
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 2001

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