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Assessing functioning and self-care abilities in Alzheimer disease research
1College of Nursing, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock 72205, USA.
Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders
|January 1, 1997
Summary
This study reviews limitations in dementia functional performance research and proposes a new framework. It addresses definitional issues, assessment methods, and the need for a cognitive disability perspective in functional outcomes research.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Neuroscience
- Rehabilitation Medicine
Background:
- Functional performance is a key outcome in dementia research.
- Current research faces limitations in assessing functional performance.
- Existing frameworks may not adequately capture the complexities of dementia-related functional decline.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review limitations in current functional performance research in dementia.
- To identify a conceptual framework for outcomes research in this area.
- To propose a framework for evaluating functional performance assessment instruments.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of functional performance research in dementia.
- Analysis of conceptual frameworks for functional assessment.
- Discussion of measurement issues including informant-based and performance-based instruments.
Main Results:
- Identified five key issues in conceptual frameworks: definitional variability, performance vs. capacity, global vs. component abilities, lack of context, and exclusion of cognitive disability.
- Highlighted implications of different assessment instrument types.
- Presented a conceptual framework for evaluating assessment instruments.
Conclusions:
- A refined conceptual framework is needed for functional outcomes research in dementia.
- Addressing identified limitations will improve the validity and utility of functional performance assessments.
- The proposed framework aids in evaluating and selecting appropriate assessment tools for dementia research.