Chapter 17 - § 17.4 • FINAL THOUGHTS

• Jurisdiction: Colorado

§ 17.4 • FINAL THOUGHTS

Close attention needs to be paid to the members of our elder community in order to help identify medical versus mental health issues, make attempts to work with the person for whom treatment would be appropriate, find care when necessary, and adjust to new information in a person's later years. Psychiatric illness can present, or finally be revealed, in the late stages of human life. There are also many ways that psychiatric medications can make someone's difficult or grumpy behavior easier for family or staff and other providers to manage; therefore, attorneys and guardians may be in the best position for close scrutiny of the individual's preferences, ability to articulate those preferences, and whether those preferences are being honored. Older adults may have the capacity to enter into an...