A multidimensional approach to the assessment may be necessary, and can include:
- discussions with those close to the patient, such as their family or carers, who may be aware of the patient's usual ability to make decisions and their particular communication needs
- consultation with health professionals caring for the patient, such as nurses, speech and language therapists
- communicating with the patient with the support of toolkits, including pictures or flash cards (these may be available through social workers or community liaison officers).
People suffering from a mental disorder (including those subject to involuntary provisions of the Mental Health Act 2000/Mental Health Act 2016*) may still have capacity to make decisions about certain aspects of their health care, and an assessment of their capacity on a specific issue at a specific time is often made, as above (see also Section 4.2: What are the consenting issues for mental health patients?). * (Please note: State Parliament passed the Mental Health Act 2016 on 18 February 2016 and at the time of publication it is anticipated that it will be implemented in March 2017. Visit:
Mental Health Act 2016 | Queensland Health