Which term describes the patient’s mental capacity to perform tasks?

• A. Direct Contact
• B. Cognitive Ability
• C. Verbal Cues
• D. IADL

Answer: (B)

Cognitive ability is the term that describes the patient’s mental capacity to perform tasks. It covers the mental processes—memory, attention, problem-solving, judgment, and the ability to follow instructions—that are needed to plan and execute activities. Direct contact is about how you interact with the patient, not their internal capacity. Verbal cues are prompts or instructions to support task performance, not the capacity itself. IADL refers to the types of complex daily activities a person can perform, which reflect functional independence but not the core mental capacity to perform tasks.

So, the patient’s mental capacity to perform tasks is best described by cognitive ability.