UNITS 4-7: OVERALL GERIATRIC ASSESSMENT

The overall geriatric assessment covers various areas: 

This valuation constitutes a diagnostic process that detects and quantifies the problems, neccesities and abilities of the elder in the above areas.

The following table shows the different scales used in the geriatric assessment, in the four areas.

Focusing on the functional sphere, highlighting the assessment focuses on collecting information about the ability of the elderly to perform their usual activity and maintain their independence over the medium where their are located

Daily activities are divided into basic and instrumental. There are different scales for each case.

Some studies related functional decline with some pathologies. 

In the article mentioned in the bibliography the functional decline in the elderly within a period of two years is studied. There were two groups: one of independent elders to the activities of everyday life and one of those who were dependent. Within each group, there were older people with cognitive impairment; others with depressive symptoms; and a third part, who suffered from cognitive impairment and depressive symptoms.

The results concluded that suffering, at the same time, cognitive impairment and depressive symptoms are risk factors for the functional decline in dependent elder to the activities of everyday life. On the other hand, cognitive impairment is the factor that leads to a greater decline in elderly with previous dependence on some activities of every day life.

To conclude, note that cognitive impairment is the factor that affects the most to the degree of dependence of the elderly population.

Bibliography

• Mehta KM, Yaffe K, Covinsky KE. Cognitive Impairment, Depressive Symptoms, and Functional Decline in Older People. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2002; 50 (6):1045-50. Disponible en: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2939718/?tool=pubmed