Staff evaluation of nursing home residents' competence.

Nursing home staff members frequently screen residents for competence, but the ability to assess competence has received limited attention. This study compared staff members' competence assessments with residents' (N = 100) mental status, measured by the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (SPMSQ), and examined information used by staff to evaluate residents' competence. Staffers' evaluation of competence was significantly correlated with resident SPMSQ score. Staffers used information about orientation, alertness, and verbal function, with little consideration of decision making ability and mental status.