Most families arrive at this with a fear they do not say out loud: that a stranger will visit, ask a few questions, and take away someone's right to decide things about their own life.
That is not what this is. It is worth setting out plainly what the process involves, because the reality is slower, more structured and considerably more respectful of the adult than the fear suggests.
It starts before the assessor arrives
Alberta requires that a medical evaluation by a physician has been conducted within the three months immediately before the capacity assessment. The assessor has to attest to it by name and date on the report.
This exists to protect the adult. Infection, dehydration, medication interactions, delirium, pain, an untreated condition, a recent bereavement: all of these can look like lost capacity from the outside, and none of them is. The medical evaluation is there to rule out the reversible before anyone considers something permanent.
If that evaluation has not happened, or happened too long ago, the assessment cannot properly proceed.
The starting position is that the adult has capacity
Under the Act, an adult is presumed to have capacity and is able to make decisions until the contrary is determined.
That is not a formality. It sets the direction of the whole exercise. The question is not "can this person prove they are still capable". The question is whether there is evidence sufficient to displace the presumption, area by area.
Three stages
Pre-assessment. The assessor explains what the assessment is for, what it may lead to, and what happens if the adult is found to lack capacity in an area. They also explain that the adult can refuse.
Confirming the medical evaluation. As above.
The interview. The assessor meets the adult and asks questions directed at the specific areas of concern that have been raised, exploring both understanding and the ability to appreciate consequences.
The assessor must make a reasonable effort to meet with the adult and, unless the adult is non-responsive, explain to them the purpose and nature of the assessment. It is not something done about someone from a distance.
The adult can stop it
This is the part we most want families to know, because it is a right and it is rarely mentioned.
The adult has the right to refuse to undergo the capacity assessment, or to stop it at any point during it. If they refuse, the assessor must stop and note that on the report.
Refusing is not treated as an admission. It is recorded as what happened.
Support during the assessment
The adult may have support persons present, and may use communication devices as needed. Someone who communicates with a device, or who is more settled with a familiar person in the room, is not disadvantaged for it.
Timing matters too. Alberta's own guidance is that assessments should be completed at a time when the adult is likely to be able to demonstrate their full capacity. If mornings are better, the assessment should be in the morning. If a person is exhausted after dialysis, that is not the afternoon to do it. Say so when the appointment is being arranged: this is a legitimate request, not special pleading.
What is being assessed, area by area
The definition of capacity in the Act is the ability to understand information relevant to a decision and to appreciate the reasonably foreseeable consequences of a decision, or of failing to make one.
Note what that does not say. It does not ask whether the decision is wise. Adults are entitled to make choices that their families consider unwise; that is not incapacity.
The areas examined for guardianship are health care; where, with whom and under what conditions the adult lives; who they associate with; social activities; education, vocational or other training; employment; and legal proceedings that do not relate primarily to financial matters. For trusteeship, the area is financial matters.
A person can retain capacity in several of these and not others. The report reflects that, which is why the resulting order can be narrower than families expect.
How to prepare, as a family member
You cannot coach someone through a capacity assessment, and trying to is unhelpful for everyone. What you can do is make the conditions fair.
Get the medical evaluation done and dated properly, within the three months, and make sure the assessor can confirm it.
Choose the time of day honestly, based on when the person is genuinely at their best.
Have the practical information ready: current medications, recent hospital admissions, the names of the professionals involved, and a factual account of what has actually been happening. Concrete examples are more useful than adjectives.
Describe the ordinary days, not the worst one and not the best one. Both distortions are common and both mislead.
Tell the adult what is happening. Being assessed without understanding why is frightening and it does not improve anyone's performance.
Be clear about what you are worried about. "He cannot manage his banking any more, three payments were missed and he could not explain the statements" gives an assessor something to examine. "He is not himself" does not.
Afterwards
The assessor completes and signs the applicable Capacity Assessment Report: Form 3 for co-decision-making, Form 4 for guardianship or trusteeship or both, Form 10 for specific decision-making.
The report records findings on capacity in the specific areas assessed, and whether the adult might regain capacity, with reassessment dates where that applies. It is valid for six months.
Copies go to the adult, the applicant, the court and the review officer as part of the application package. In most cases the adult receives the same information given to the court.
If it goes the other way
An assessment can conclude that the adult retains capacity in the areas of concern. That is a real and reasonably common outcome, and it is not a failure of the process.
It usually means the difficulty is something else: a health issue that is treatable, a family disagreement that needs resolving rather than adjudicating, or a practical problem that could be handled by a personal directive, an enduring power of attorney, or supported decision-making rather than a court order. Those routes are covered in the five options before guardianship.
Where this sits with us
Northridge conducts designated capacity assessments under the AGTA. We do them at a time and in a place that gives the adult the best chance of being properly represented, we explain what is happening before we start, and we write what we find.
We will not tell you in advance what an assessment will conclude. If we did, it would not be an assessment.
If you are arranging one, get in touch and we will tell you plainly what is needed and in what order.