Testing of the Function Focused Environment Assessment and the Function Focused Policy Assessment in Assisted Living

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Health Services Research
• Rehabilitation Science

Background:

• Assisted living (AL) settings require effective evaluation tools to promote resident function.
• Optimizing physical activity and function is crucial for the well-being of AL residents.
• Existing assessment tools may not adequately capture environmental and policy influences on resident function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and evaluate the psychometric properties of two novel assessment instruments: the Function Focused Environment Assessment (FF-EA) and the Function Focused Policy Assessment (FF-PA).
• To determine the reliability and validity of the FF-EA and FF-PA for clinical evaluation of AL settings.
• To provide evidence supporting the use of these tools for optimizing resident function and physical activity.

Main Methods:

• The study involved 106 assisted living settings and 242 residents.
• Psychometric properties, including item reliability and interrater reliability, were assessed for both FF-EA and FF-PA.
• Validity was supported using INFIT and OUTFIT statistics and hypothesis testing.

Main Results:

• The FF-EA demonstrated strong item reliability (0.92) and acceptable interrater reliability (kappa=0.40, p=.015).
• The FF-PA also showed good item reliability (0.89) and acceptable interrater reliability (kappa=0.48, p=.001).
• Both measures provided evidence of validity based on statistical analyses.

Conclusions:

• The Function Focused Environment Assessment (FF-EA) and Function Focused Policy Assessment (FF-PA) are reliable and valid instruments for evaluating assisted living environments.
• These tools can be utilized in clinical settings to assess factors impacting resident function and physical activity.
• The FF-EA and FF-PA offer a promising approach to enhancing the quality of care and promoting independence in assisted living.