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Measuring Functional Competence in Older Persons With Alzheimer's Disease

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 January 2005

Susan E. Doble ,
John D. Fisk ,
Kathleen M. MacPherson ,
Anne G. Fisher  and
Kenneth Rockwood
Susan E. Doble
Affiliation:
School of Occupational Therapy, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia
John D. Fisk
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia Department of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Kathleen M. MacPherson
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Anne G. Fisher
Affiliation:
Department of Occupational Therapy, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.
Kenneth Rockwood
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia
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Abstract

Despite their limitations, mental status tests and self/proxy reports of instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) are often used to predict functional competence. In contrast, the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (AMPS) is a direct observational assessment of IADL competence. Sixty-four community-dwelling elderly (20 Alzheimer's disease [AD] patients and 44 nondemented) were assessed with the AMPS, the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and the Older Americans Resources and Services (OARS)-IADL. Performance on all three assessments was significantly lower for the AD sample. The MMSE did not correlate significantly with the AMPS motor ability measures but it correlated modestly with the AMPS process ability measures. The OARS-IADL correlated significantly with the AMPS motor ability measure for the nondemented sample alone. Although mental status and self/proxy assessments provide some insight into individuals' IADL competence, direct observation of IADL task performance provides additional information regarding the subtle process and motor skills changes that occur in progressive dementing conditions.

Type
Studies on Dementia
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 9 , Issue 1 , March 1997 , pp. 25 - 38
Copyright
© 1997 International Psychogeriatric Association

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