Capacity Assessments:

Capacity is decision-specific. The critical question is always, capacity to do what? A capacity assessor will typically determine whether someone has capacity to do any or all of the following:

• capacity to make a Power of Attorney (POA)
• capacity to manage their property
• capacity to make their own personal care decisions
• capacity to make a Will

Capacity assessments can assist the person, their family, the court, medical professionals, and financial institutions in determining who has authority to make any given decision affecting the person.

Capacity Assessors:

Capacity Assessors have specific training in assessing mental capacity and must stay current in their knowledge and practice. Assessors are typically medical doctors, registered social workers, occupational therapists or nurses.

The Ontario government maintains a roster of Capacity Assessors who are authorized to provide formal assessments of people’s capacity.

Costs:

A capacity assessment is not covered by provincial healthcare in Ontario. It must be paid for privately and is typically paid for by the person(s) seeking the assessment or their family.

Assessors typically charge hourly for the time preparing for the meeting, meeting with the person, and drafting their report. A formal assessment often costs between $1,500 and $5,000, depending on what is being assessed and various factors affecting the complexity of the assessment.