Assessing Older Persons

This book describes the multidimensional assessment of older persons, offering unique insights into the state of this art. It combines comprehensive reviews of the most widely used instruments for measuring a variety of domains (such as psychological status, cognition, affect, social function, quality of life, physical environment, and caregiver burden) with an exploration of the variety of uses to which these assessments have been put. It shows how assessment is used in various aspects of practice, including comprehensive geriatric assessment, care planning, case management, and mandated assessments. It also contains a chapter on how to college data from persons who cannot communicate. The aim throughout is to combine information on specific measures with insight into how and when each measure should be used. Its message is both an urging to use assessments to enhance practice and a caution to use them wisely. The book is designed to service as both a resource for those working actively in the field and an introduction for those who are not familiar with assessment in a given area.