When "No" Means No Elderly Patients' Right to Refuse Treatment

In the complicated health care and legal system of the United States, all patients are endowed with certain rights. The American Hospital Association and the U.S. Supreme Court have each delineated certain rights to which patients who have the competence and mental capacity to make decisions for themselves are entitled. One such right especially important to geriatric patients is the right to refuse treatment. Prior to treatment, nurses are often charged with obtaining the informed consent of the patient. To do so, the nurse must evaluate the patient's competency and mental capacity while explaining the proposed treatment, the benefits and risks involved, and other available treatment options, and then accept either the patient's voluntary assent or refusal.