Psychometric prediction of psychogeriatric day care outcome

A comparison was made between sets of psychometric variables [the Clifton Assessment Procedures for the Elderly (CAPE)] and personal socio-demographic variables in predicting the outcome of psychogeriatric day care. Two groups of elderly patients referred for day care were investigated: 40 new admissions to a psychogeriatric day centre and 63 new admissions to psychogeriatric day hospitals. Discriminant function analysis was employed to compare the classification accuracy obtained from the personal socio-demographic variables and the CAPE psychometric data. The results demonstrated the incremental validity of the CAPE in predicting outcome of day care in both settings and support the routine use of such brief measures as appropriate screening procedures in these settings.