Sunday, June 7, 2015

What is a GeroAssessment?

Hi Readers, many people have asked me about a comprehensive GeroAssessment.  What exactly is that?  A GeroAssessment is a CONFIDENTIAL battery of assessments to provide an overall baseline of how an older adult is functioning both physically and cognitively.  A comprehensive gerontological assessment must be performed/evaluated by an aging expert, preferably with a doctoral degree and many years of experience.  By evaluating all of these assessments and appropriately interpreting the findings, the older adult then can take the assessment to a primary care physician and/or geriatric psychiatrist for follow-up treatment.  The GeroAssessment is also requested for older adults who are moving in to a Continuing Care Retirement Community [CCRC].

There is a problem with bootleg copies of these assessments being passed around by practitioners.  A bootleg copy of an assessment is one that has been photocopied.  Assessments used by the aging expert CANNOT be copies.  Why?  Only people who are authorized to administer them are authorized to buy them. 

It is very important that during an assessment, behavior and affect are measured.  Example.  A man started pawing me and laughing inappropriately during an assessment and I knew how to handle that situation and avoid a confrontation.  That observed behavior and his reaction to my request was part of the report. 

What is an informant report?  It is given to the caregiver to ensure accuracy of the information.  The caregiver completes the assessment to determine similarities and differences in the responses and they are discussed with the geriatrician.  By getting information from two sources, the findings have more credibility. 

Below is a list of the assessments I use in conducting a GeroAssessment.  Not necessarily in this order.  The cost is $200.  Older clients must bring all of their prescription medicines to the appointment.

1. Nestle Food/Nutrition Assessment + Informant Report
2. Katz ADL
3. KATZ IADL
4. Drug Inventory + Informant report
5. Geriatric Depression Screening [GDS-SF] + Informant Report
6. Mood Inventory + Informant Report
7. Trail Making Test, B [TMT-B]
8. Freund Clock Drawing Test [CDT]
9. Epworth Sleep Assessment
10. A cognitive assessment.  Examples are MMSE Alternative Word Set version [I have been approved to modify it.  The MMSE has practice effects that interfere with accurately interpreting the results.] and   modified versions of BAS, SLUMS, GPCOG, Mini-COG, and MIS.

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