GERIATRIC

ASSESSMENT

COMPONENTS OF GERIATRIC
ASSESSMENT
Four elements of physical function status are:

Basic self-care and personal hygiene of ADL

More complex activities essential to live in community

Balance

Gait

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ADL

ADL : self-care activities that a person performs daily

(e.g., eating, dressing, bathing, transferring between the
bed and a chair, using the toilet, controlling bladder and
bowel functions).

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IADL

IADL are activities that are needed to live

independently
(e.g., doing housework, preparing meals, taking
medications properly, managing finances, using a
telephone)

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BALANCE

Leading cause of hospitalization and injury-related death in

persons 75 years and older.
Tool to assess a patient's fall risk- 15-20 minutes.

The Berg Balance scale

Description:
14-item scale designed to measure balance of the older adult in
a clinical setting.
Equipment needed:
Ruler, two standard chairs (one with arm rests, one without),
footstool or step, stopwatch or wristwatch, 15 ft walkway
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Interpretation Of Test
Completion:
Time:15-20 minutes
Scoring:
A five-point scale, ranging from 0-4. 0 indicates the lowest
level of function and 4 the highest level of function. Total
Score = 56
Interpretation:
41-56 = low fall risk
21-40 = medium fall risk
0 20 = high fall risk

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Timed Up and Go
Get up and walk 10ft, and return to chair
>=13.5 seconds-risk of fall

Podsiadlo D, Richardson S. The Timed "Up and Go": A test of basic functional mobility for
frail elderly persons. J Am Geriatr Soc 1991; 39:142-148.
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Six-Minute walk test

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COMPONENTS OF GERIATRIC
ASSESSMENT
4.Mental status
The term dementia is commonly used to describe the
impairments in mental status.
Mini-Cog assessment instrument is briefer and has reasonable
test characteristics to indicate the presence of dementia

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Mini-Cognitive Assessment Instrument

Step 1. Ask the patient to repeat three unrelated words, such

as ball, dog, and window.

Step 2. Ask the patient to draw a simple clock set to 10

minutes after eleven o'clock (11:10). A correct response is
drawing of a circle with the numbers placed in approximately
the correct positions, with the hands pointing to the 11 and 2.

Step 3. Ask the patient to recall the three words from Step 1.
One point is given for each item that is recalled correctly.

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Mini-Cognitive Assessment Interpretation

Number of items
correctly recalled
0

Clock drawing test

result
Normal

Interpretation of
screen for dementia
Positive

Abnormal

Positive

Normal

Negative

Abnormal

Positive

Normal

Negative

Abnormal

Positive

Normal

Negative

Abnormal

Negative

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THE FOLSTEIN MINI-MENTAL STATE

EXAMINATION
Orientation: What is the year/season/date/day/month?
Where are we state/county/town/hospital/floor?
Registration: Name 3 objects: 1 second to say each. Then ask
the patient all 3 after you have said them.
Attention/ Calculation: Begin with 100 and count backward by
7.
Alternatively, spell WORLD backwards.
Recall:

Ask for all 3 objects repeated above.

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THE FOLSTEIN MINI-MENTAL STATE

EXAMINATION
Language:Show a pencil & a watch and ask the patient to
name them.
Repeat: No ifs, and or buts.
A 3 stage command: Take the paper in your right
hand fold it in half, and put it on the floor.
Read and obey the following: CLOSE YOUR EYES.
Ask a patient to write a sentence.
Copy a design (complex polygon).

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MMSE
Education

60-64

80-84

5-8 years

24

22

9-12 years

27

23

Some college

28

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From Crum RM, Anthony JC, Bassett SS, Folstein MF. (1993). Populationbased norms for the mini-mental state examination by age and educational
level. JAMA, 269(18), 2386-2391.

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COMPONENTS OF GERIATRIC
ASSESSMENT
5.Emotional status
In elderly, depression is the most common psychological problem.
Geriatric depression scale (GDS) is used to assess the level of
depression in elderly

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