Assessing Mental Competency

Mental Competency
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Mental Competency
One of the elements to use when assessing mental competency in patients is communicating a choice. A mentally capable patient should communicate their choice (Mackenzie & Wilkinson, 2020). Inability to express an alternative means that the patient will go along with anything they are told. Patients who are not mentally competent often tend always to do as others suggest. The second element is understanding. A mentally competent patient should be capable of understanding whatever one communicates to them. They should also have the ability to understand certain aspects of life that an average person can.
The third element is appreciation. Appreciation also plays a crucial role in determining whether a patient is mentally competent (Mackenzie & Wilkinson, 2020). Mentally incompetent patients do not understand the importance of specific actions and when one needs to show appreciation. In such a case, the patient usuall...