Why is Competence Assessment Important? Development of the EDCON Consensus Statement -- EDCON-Consensus; Assessment of Competence -- Neuropsychological Assessment -- Brain Structures Inoalved in Dementia -- Medical Factors Interfering With Competence In Dementia -- Drugs That Affect Competence -- Who Decides Who Decides? Ethical Perspectives on Capacity and Decision-making -- Are Legal Systems in Europe Fit for The Dementia Challenge? Approach of The Council of Europe -- Testamentary and Financial Competence Issues in Dementia -- Assessment of Competency and Advance Directives -- Informed Consent in Dementia Research -- Assessment of Fitness to Drive, Possession of Professional Drivers’ License, Possession of Firearms, and Pilot’s Certificate in Clients with Dementing Conditions -- Practice of Competence Assement in Dementia; Austria -- Practice of Competence Assessment in Dementia; Denmark -- Practice of Competence Assessment in Dementia; Finland -- Practice of Competence Assessment in Dementia: France -- Practice of Competence Assessment in Dementia: Germany -- Practice of Competence Assessment in Dementia: Greece -- Practice of Competence Assessment in Dementia: Ireland -- Practice of Competence Assessment in Dementia: Italy -- Practice of Competence Assessment in Dementia: The Netherlands -- Practice of Competence Assessment in Dementia: Norway -- Practice of Competence Assessment in Dementia: Poland -- Practice of Competence Assessment in Dementia: Portugal -- Practice of Competence Assessment in Dementia: Romania -- Practice of Competence Assessment in Dementia: Spain -- Practice of Competence Assessment in Dementia: Sweden -- Practice of Competence Assessment in Dementia: Switzerland -- Practice of Competence Assessment in Dementia: Czech Republic -- Practice of Competence Assessment in Dementia: UK.

The increasing number of demented elderly in our societies, the ongoing debate on patient’s rights and autonomy, and the growing body of knowledge on the dementias led the European Dementia Consensus Network to regard competence assessment in dementia as an important topic of debate. To date, no other comprehensive publication on this topic is known to exist. EDCON performed a transeuropean survey and has agreed on a consensus, which takes into account the variability of clinical symptoms of dementia as well as the special functions required for different purposes. This book contains a summarised consensus as well as chapters on the state of art of neuropsychological functions and how they are related to the areas of competence and chapters which deals with ethical, legal perspectives. The area of competence, e.g. in the field of driving capacity will be discussed in an own chapter. Furthermore, the book contains short contributions on the situation in individual European countries.