A Notary Public is a state appointed official. The purpose is to be an impartial witness to the signing of documents, to prevent fraudulent activity.

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A Notary Public is responsible to verify the identity of signers, administer oath & affirmations, take acknowledgments, certify copies of documents and witness signatures.  

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A Notary Public can refuse services if the identity of a signer cannot be verified, the signer isn't present, the document is missing pages or contains blank spaces, the document doesn't have required notarial certificate, there is a conflict of interest, the notary knows the documents are fraudulent, the signer is unable or unwilling to pay the fee.

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It is the due diligence of a Notary Public to refuse services if the signer is unwilling or seems unaware of the documents they are signing. In cases where an elderly individual is signing Power of Attorney documents, the Notary Public may ask "yes" or "no" questions or verify information such as the signer's date of birth, relationship to whom they are assigning as their 'Agent', names of children, etc... If a signer is heavily medicated or under the influence of drugs or alcohol, the Notary Public may refuse services at that time and suggest to reschedule.