---
title: "What Is Capacity assessment? Home Care Glossary | HomeCare.com"
description: "A capacity assessment is an evaluation of whether a person can make a specific decision, such as signing a legal document or agreeing to treatment...."
url: https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/capacity-assessment/
publisher: HomeCare.com
phone: 800-974-3458
start: https://care.homecare.com/?source=homecare.com
---

Legal and planning

# Capacity assessment

A capacity assessment is an evaluation of whether a person can make a specific decision, such as signing a legal document or agreeing to treatment. Doctors, psychologists and lawyers may take part. Capacity can depend on the decision and can change over time.

## Why it matters for your family

Capacity matters most before signing a power of attorney, a will or a trust. A person with early dementia may still have capacity for some decisions. The ACL points to American Bar Association materials on capacity and consent for lawyers, judges, psychologists and physicians. A common mistake is to assume a diagnosis means a person can no longer decide. Another is to wait until capacity is clearly lost. Then only a court guardianship may remain. Ask the doctor and an elder law attorney early. A lawyer may request a doctor's note when documents are signed. This is general information, not medical or legal advice.

Source: [acl.gov](https://acl.gov/programs/empowering-advocacy/alternatives-guardianship)

[Read more: What is Elder Law and Do You Need an Elder Care Attorney?](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/paying-for-care/elder-law-attorney/)

## Related terms

-   [**Guardianship**Guardianship is a legal process in which a state court finds a person incapacitated and appoints someone else to make decisions for them.](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/guardianship/)
-   [**Power of attorney**A power of attorney (POA) is a legal document in which one person, the principal, names another person, the agent, to act for them.](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/power-of-attorney/)
-   [**Durable power of attorney**A durable power of attorney is a power of attorney that stays in effect if the person who signed it becomes incapacitated.](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/durable-power-of-attorney/)
-   [**Dementia**Dementia is a group of symptoms, not one disease.](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/dementia/)
-   [**Advance directive**An advance directive is a legal document that states your health care wishes in case you cannot decide for yourself.](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/advance-directive/)
-   [**Elder law attorney**An elder law attorney is a lawyer who focuses on legal issues of older adults.](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/elder-law-attorney/)

[All glossary terms](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/)

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