The revised direct assessment of functional status for independent older adults.

نویسندگان

  • Graham J McDougall
  • Heather Becker
  • Phillip W Vaughan
  • Taylor W Acee
  • Carol L Delville
چکیده

PURPOSE The original version of the Direct Assessment of Functional Status (DAFS), a measure of instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), was found to have a ceiling effect in older adults living independently in the community. This suggested that the tasks measured, although relevant, do not require full use of this population's abilities, and thus, the instrument may not be sensitive to the early decrements in IADLs that can signal initial cognitive impairment and may not detect improvements in IADLs over time, which is especially important in intervention research. DESIGN AND METHODS By removing items with little to no variation and adding more difficult subscales that emphasized medication management skills, we designed the DAFS-Extended (Direct Assessment of Functional Status-Revised [DAFS-R]) to be more challenging for elders living independently. RESULTS Analysis with a sample of 45 older adults suggested that scores on the DAFS-R appear to be more normally distributed than on the original version. The DAFS was able to differentiate individuals with varying standard profile scores on the Rivermead Behavioural Memory Test memory performance instrument (normal, poor, and impaired). In addition, the reliability and validity of the DAFS-R were supported in this sample. IMPLICATIONS Given the large number of older adults who regularly take multiple prescription medications, deficits in medication management skills can have serious consequences. A performance measure that emphasizes these higher level daily living skills can help providers screen for initial signs of functional decline.

برای دانلود رایگان متن کامل این مقاله و بیش از 32 میلیون مقاله دیگر ابتدا ثبت نام کنید

ثبت نام

اگر عضو سایت هستید لطفا وارد حساب کاربری خود شوید

منابع مشابه

Factors associated with the functional independence level in older adults

Introduction: Functional independence in old age refers to active presence in daily life. One of the best ways to evaluate the functional independence of elderly is assessing the level of activities. This study aims to determine the status of functional independence in performing instrumental and daily activities as well as its related factors. Methods: This cross-sectional study was cond...

متن کامل

The Relationship Between Demographic, Health, Physical Fitness and Socioeconomic Determinants and Functional Performance of Elderly People

Purpose: Increased life expectancy leads to an increase in the elderly population. However, with an increase in the age, the number of chronic diseases and cognitive disorders also increases. Since the social, cultural, environmental, lifestyle and health-related behavior is specific to each nation, the present study aimed at investigating the relationship between socio-economic status, health,...

متن کامل

The Predictive Role Of Health Promoting Lifestyle In Cognitive Status Of Older Clergymen

Objectives: Healthy lifestyle along with spirituality affect the physical and mental health of the older adults. Regarding the older clergymen’s experience of spiritual life, this study aimed to determine the predictive role of health promoting lifestyle in cognitive status among older clergymen in Qom city in 2018. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 190 older c...

متن کامل

Status of Daily Living Activities among Older People in Maku

Introduction: One of the most popular methods for evaluating old people’s health condition is to assess their functional practice. The aim of this study was to assess the status of daily living activities among the older people of Maku, Iran. Methods: The present cross-sectional study was accomplished among 216 older people in Maku via simple random sampling. Participant’s subj...

متن کامل

Investigating the Status of Daily Life Activities (Basic, Instrumental, Advanced) and Related Factors in the Elderly

Introduction: Activities of daily living allows older adults to maintain their independence. Moreover, demographic variables can affect their ability to perform these activities. The present study was conducted to assess the status of activities of daily living of older adults and associated factors in the city of Bojnurd (urban and rural). Methods: In the present cross-sectional study, a total...

متن کامل

ذخیره در منابع من


  با ذخیره ی این منبع در منابع من، دسترسی به آن را برای استفاده های بعدی آسان تر کنید

عنوان ژورنال:
  • The Gerontologist

دوره 50 3  شماره 

صفحات  -

تاریخ انتشار 2010