Capacity

by Emily Shea

No I don’t want to get up for a walk

Of course you do

No I don’t want to wear a face mask in public

I’m invincible

Well now you must

No I don’t want to be in the hospital

It’s your job

No I don’t want to leave the hospital

It’s not your job

No I don’t want to eat

You must keep up your strength

No I don’t want to avoid my friends

You may put your friend in grave danger

No I don’t want my patients to die

You can’t take any more ventilators

No I don’t want to bring this home

Well...maybe find a hotel?

Assessing capacity

Who can make a decision

Who can make the right decision

For themselves

For their family

For their community

For the world

Is there a right decision

Is there a threshold for clarity

Are we asking too much

To ask at all

There is

Emotion

Confusion

Illness

Ambivalence

Grief

Paranoia

Does anybody have capacity?