The Alzheimer's Disease Home Hospice Knowledge Scale: development, validity and reliability

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Palliative Care
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Existing instruments lack specificity for home hospice knowledge in Alzheimer's Disease (AD).
• There is a need for a tool to evaluate understanding of home hospice care tailored to AD.
• Family caregivers require accurate information for end-of-life care decisions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate the Alzheimer's Disease Home Hospice Knowledge Scale (AD-HHK-S).
• To create a reliable and valid instrument for assessing knowledge specific to home hospice for AD patients.

Main Methods:

• The study involved 107 Israeli family caregivers of individuals with dementia.
• A 28-item true/false scale (AD-HHK-S) was developed.
• The scale assessed knowledge in three domains: general hospice, home hospice, and AD-specific home hospice.

Main Results:

• The Alzheimer's Disease Home Hospice Knowledge Scale (AD-HHK-S) demonstrated good internal reliability (Cronbach's alpha: 0.72–0.85).
• The scale exhibited strong face, construct, and predictive validity.
• The 28 items effectively measured knowledge across the three targeted domains.

Conclusions:

• The AD-HHK-S is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing knowledge of home hospice care in Alzheimer's Disease.
• This scale can enhance communication between palliative care nurses and family caregivers of AD patients.
• The AD-HHK-S supports improved end-of-life care planning and delivery for AD patients at home.