helpful resources available to the patient?

Last reviewed 01/2018

The assessor must evaluate the resources that are available to the patient to solve his problems. These include:

  • the patients own capacity to solve his own problems
  • the material resources available to the patient
  • the help that others may provide to the patient

The patient's capacity to solve his own problems can be deduced from the patient's capacity to solve previous problems e.g. loss of a job. The availability of help that others could provide is assessed by asking about friends and confidants. Also, the assessor should ask about support the patient may be receiving from his general practitioner, social worker or voluntary agencies.