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Obtaining "Informed" Consent from the Elderly

Regardless of the age of the potential subjects, three conditions constitute informed consent: freedom to decide, clear information, and decision-making capacity. Numerous factors associated with the aging process affect elders' abilities to fulfill all of these conditions; however, as research involving the elderly increases, researchers must act responsibly to ensure that the rights and privileges of elderly research subjects are protected. There are numerous techniques researchers can use to increase the likelihood that truly informed consent is being obtained from elderly potential subjects; this article has described a few of these techniques. Many of the techniques mentioned require additional investigator time. Extra time to ensure this is a small price to pay for setting the stage for greater cooperation and increased quality of research. The development and dissemination of informed consent process guidelines geared toward the needs of the elderly would facilitate an individual researcher's efforts to protect elderly subjects.