6. Capacity Assessment: An International Problem

The challenge of ensuring rigorous capacity assessments is being seen internationally. The loss of capacity is not nation-specific. This is especially the case given the freedom of movement and communication that people enjoy within modern society. This chapter seeks to explore some of the best capacity assessment guidelines worldwide. Guides have been chosen from Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. This is not a systematic review and is unable to be given the multitude of assessment guides which are then further manipulated by both health and legal practitioners to suit their own individual skill sets. This chapter instead reviews a selection of guidelines to progress the dialogue about what constitutes best practice when assessing capacity on the world stage. The guidelines from the United Kingdom and the United States of America are of particular interest given that they adopt an interdisciplinary approach, having been developed by legal and health organisations acting in consultation with one another. This discussion of these guidelines demonstrates the importance of the professions and other interested stakeholders adopting an outwardly rather than inwardly-focused view when considering what best capacity assessment practice should entail.