Capacity Assessment
Decision-making and forensic evaluations
Decision-making capacity is a medical-legal question that impacts one’s quality of life and has significant lasting effects on individuals and families.
If a person you love is changing cognitively and at risk for physical, financial, or psychological harm, I’m here to help.
Capacity Assessments
Capacity includes a spectrum of decision-making abilities. I offer a variety of assessment types including:
- Medical decisions: Can your loved one make informed and logical decisions about their own care (i.e. choosing a treatment vs. foregoing treatment)?
- Testamentary decisions: Going into a contract; Wills, Trusts, marriage, and business agreements. In these cases, I often work with fiduciaries, estate attorneys, family members, spouses, children, and the courts.
- Financial decisions: Can your loved one adequately manage their own money (for example, paying bills, making purchases, and investing)?
- Independent living decisions: Can your loved one do okay on their own? Are they able to take care of daily activities in a safe and sustainable way? I may work with nurses and physicians, for their input as well, when need be.
- End of life care and geriatric consultation decisions
Forensic Geropsychology Evaluations
Competency evaluation leads to clearer court rulings and best practices. I am professionally credentialed on the Alienist’s list to make these determinations for Sonoma County Superior Court. I meet with individuals in facilities including jails, skilled nursing facilities, and in-home to simplify access to the assessment.
Clarity, Expertise, the information you need.
Dr. Todd Finnemore
With over a decade of experience as a Clinical Geropsycholgist—helping older persons and their families maintain well-being, overcome problems, and experience quality of life as they age—I’m a big believer that having a kind, empathetic, safe, and reliable space is key to healing the habits of the heart, mind, and body.
But it takes a village! That’s why one of my greatest joys is working with families of aging loved ones by educating and supporting them through these transitions, decision-making concerns, and independent living questions.
“To release the grip of stress we need a stable ground of compassion.”
-Dr Finnemore
I rely on evidence-based contemporary psychological science including neuropsychological testing, forensic research, and psychoanalytic thinking, as well as mindfulness based practice as the main models for understanding, health, well-being, and happiness.
