Psychologic and behavioral assessment of geriatric patients: a review

A review of the literature and a study conducted at a state hospital indicated that valid psychologic test results on geriatric patients are often difficult to obtain. Reasons most frequently offered by psychometricians for inconclusive or incomplete findings were the patient's uncooperativeness, unavailability, or severity of physical/mental dysfunction. A need was apparent for alternate assessment instruments for measuring current and potential levels of functioning in the elderly. In the investigation, attention was focused on the following areas: 1) studies in which the more traditional measurements were used, 2) articles stressing the need for caution in using the traditional techniques, and 3) studies in which behavioral rating scales and checklists were used as the evaluative devices. A large number of checklists and behavioral rating scales were found to be relevant and applicable to an institutional setting. Five were selected and are reviewed in depth.