Comprehensive Geriatric Assesment
5th March 2020 Archive

Comprehensive Geriatric Assesment
Dr. Kaushik Ranjan Das
Presenting complaints :
H/O Present illness :
H/O Past illness
Personal history:
Family history :
Occupational history:
Socio-economic history : Living pattern & arrangement –
Financial aspect :
Support system in family & society :
Means of recreation, Values , Preferences :
History of Medication : Names & doses of drugs
Any drug allergy :
Physical Examination :General & systemic examination.
Functional assessment :
ADL (Katz index ,downloadable) :It has six item questionnaire,score of 1 for independent & score of 0 for dependence, score of 06 means patient independent and score of 0 means patient is very dependent.
Kartz Index of ADL
Sl No |
Activities (1 or 0 points)
|
Independence (1 point)*
|
Dependence (0 points)
|
1 |
Bathing
|
Bathes self completely or needs help in bathing only a single part of the body, such as the back, genital area, or disabled extremity
|
Needs help with bathing more than one part of the body, getting in or out of the bathtub or shower; requires total bathing
|
2 |
Dressing |
Gets clothes from closets and drawers, and puts on clothes and outer garments complete with fasteners; may need help tying shoes
|
Needs help with dressing self or needs to be completely dressed
|
3 |
Toileting
|
Goes to toilet, gets on and off, arranges clothes, cleans genital area without help
|
Needs help transferring to the toilet and cleaning self, or uses bedpan or commode |
4 |
Transferring
|
Moves in and out of bed or chair unassisted; mechanical transfer aids are acceptable
|
Needs help in moving from bed to chair or requires a complete transfer
|
5 |
Fecal and urinary continence
|
Exercises complete self-control over urination and defecation
|
Is partially or totally incontinent of bowel or bladder
|
6 |
Feeding
|
Gets food from plate into mouth without help; preparation of food may be done by another person
|
Needs partial or total help with feeding or requires parenteral feeding
|
- Scoring : Score of 06 , high ,patient is independent ; Score of 0, low patient is very dependent . www.aafp.org> The geriatric assessment- American family physician.
IADL(Lawton IADL scale, downloadable): It has 09(nine) item questionnaire. scoring is done, high score for independence. Score have meaning for a particular patient only . Declining score reveal deterioration.
Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale (Self-Rated Version)
For each question, circle the points for the answer that best applies to your situation
Sl. No. |
Activities |
Ways |
score |
1 |
Can you use the telephone? |
Without help With some help Completely unable to use the telephone |
3 2 1 |
2 |
Can you get to places that are out of walking distance ?
|
Without help With some help Completely unable to travel unless special arrangements are made
|
3 2 1 |
3 |
Can you go shopping for groceries ?
|
without help With some help Completely unable to do any shopping |
3 2 1 |
4 |
Can you prepare your own meals ?
|
Without help With some help Completely unable to prepare any meals |
3 2 1 |
5 |
Can you do your own housework ?
|
Without help With some help Unable to do any housework |
3 2 1 |
6 |
Can you do your own handyman work ?
|
Without help With some help Completely unable to do any handyman work |
3 2 1 |
7 |
Can you do your own laundry ?
|
Without help With some help Completely unable to do any laundry |
3 2 1 |
8a |
Do you use any medicines ?
|
Do you use any medicines ?
|
1 2 |
8b |
Do you take your own medication ?
|
|
3 2 1 |
8c |
If you had to take medications, could you do it ?
|
Without help With some help Completely unable to take own medication |
3 2 1 |
9 |
Can you manage your own money ?
|
Without help With some help Completely unable to handle money |
3 2 1 |
N.B . Scores have meaning for a particular patient only . Declining score reveal deterioration
Nutritional assessment: It is done with 11 item check list . Scoring is done, negative answer means normalcy. So, score 0-2 means good nutrition;3-5 moderate risk; 6&more- high nutritional risk.
Nutritional Assessment Check List
Sl.No |
Activities |
Score |
a |
I have an illness or condition that made me change the kind or amount of food
|
2 |
b |
I eat few fruits, vegetables, or milk products.
|
3 |
c |
I eat fewer than 02 meals per day
|
2 |
d |
I have three or more drinks of beer ,liquor or wine every day
|
2 |
e |
I have tooth or mouth problems that make it hard for me to eat.
|
2 |
f |
I don't always have enough money to buy the food I need.
|
4 |
g |
I eat alone most of the time.
|
1 |
h |
I take three or more different prescription or over-the-counter drugs per day.
|
1 |
i |
Without warning to,I have lost or gained 10lbs.in the past six month
|
2 |
j |
I am not always physically able to shop, cook, or feed myself.
|
2 |
k |
I am over 80 years of age
|
1 |
Scoring ; 0—2 good nutrition ; 3—5 moderate risk; 6 & more high nutritional risk .
(American Family Physician)
Vision: By asking about viewing TV, reading news paper,snellen’s chart/jaeger’s card /E chart etc.
Hearing :Whisper test –sitting 1-2 feet behind the patient, ear opposite the examining ear plugged, 02 syllable word whispered ,ask to repeat, if cannot then clearly impaired; similarly in other ear.
Gait &Balance :Timed get up & go test –patient with or without shoes, sits on a armless chair, stands up walks 10 ft, moves around & comes back & sits again . If the task is completed in <10 sec – freely mobile; 10-20 secs mostly independent;20-29 secs-variable mobility;>30secs assisted mobility.
Other tests for Gait & Balance : Tinetti gait & balance test & Morse fall risk
Six minute walk test : Patients may be asked to do it at their home and visit the Geriatric clinic with report (i.e. distance walked in six minutes): It is used to assess aerobic capacity & endurance and done for cardiopulmonary issues and other conditions as well.
Distance of 400 to 700metres covered in six minutes is considered as normal.
Cognitive function:
MINICOG :Components are (1)03 object registration-say 03 words ( river, nation, finger) & ask to repeat & remember (2) Clock face drawing – ask to draw a clock face (preprinted circle may be supplied), put all numbers then set hands at 10 past 11 . move to step 03 if cannot do in 03 minutes.(3) Ask to recall 3 words spoken earlier.
Score : Word recall:0-3 ; Clock draw:0-2, normal-2 inability -0
Cut off point of<3has been validated &<4 has been recommended for further evaluation of cognitive status. If so positive do MMSE.
MMSE: By using MMSE standardized proforma .Scoring is done score<24 is cutoff point
Animal Naming: Who cannot do MMSE. Ask to name animal in 60secs.Average performance is 18/min.,<12 is abnormal
For people unable to do MMSE :
Animal naming test :
Naming animals in 60 sec.
Average performance = 18/ min.
> 12 /min = abnormal
Depression :
Geriatric depression scale (long)
Geriatric depression scale (short ) : it is also validated for screening depression in elderly.
Geriatric Depression Scale (Short form)
Choose the best answer for how you have felt over the past week.
Sl.No |
Question |
Response |
Response |
1 |
Are you basically satisfied with your life ?
|
Yes |
NO |
2 |
Have you dropped many of your activities or interests ?
|
Yes |
No |
3 |
Do you feel that your life is empty ?
|
Yes |
No |
4 |
Do you often get bored ?
|
Yes |
No |
5 |
Are you in good spirits most of the time ?
|
Yes |
NO |
|
|
|
|
6 |
Are you afraid that something bad is going to happen to you ?
|
Yes |
No |
7 |
Do you feel happy most of the time ? |
Yes
|
NO |
8 |
Do you often feel helpless ? |
Yes
|
No |
9 |
Do you prefer to stay at home, rather than going out and do new things ?
|
Yes |
No |
10 |
Do you feel you have more problems with memory than most ? |
Yes
|
No |
11 |
Do you think it is wonderful to be alive now ?
|
Yes |
NO |
12 |
Do you feel pretty worthless the way you are now ? |
Yes
|
No |
13 |
Do you feel full of energy ?
|
Yes |
NO |
14 |
Do you think that most people are better off than you are ? |
Yes
|
No |
15 |
Do you feel that your situation is helpless ? |
Yes
|
No |
Answers in BOLD indicates depression.
Score 1 point for each bolded answer .
Score > 5 suggestive of depression ;
Score>/= 10 points is always indicative of depression ;
Score > 5 points should always warrant a follow up comprehensive assessment
Medication review : ( Comorbidity Polypharmacy score-CPS) ;
CPS provides 1 point to each pre-hospital medication & each pre-hospital morbidity. Score0-7 is mild ,8-14 moderate,15-27 severe & morbid if >/=22.
SARCOPENIA ( SARC-F ): STRENGTH, AMBULATION, RISING FROM A CHAIR, STAIR CLIMBING AND HISTORY OF FALLING
QUESTIONNAIRE
NAME:
DATE:
Component |
Question |
Scoring |
Score |
Strength |
How much difficulty do you have in lifting and carrying 4.5 kgs? |
None=0 Some = 1 A lot or unable = 2
|
|
Assistance in walking |
How much difficulty do you have walking across a room? |
None = 0 Some = 1 A lot, use aids, or unable = 2
|
|
Rise from a chair |
How much difficulty do you have transferring from a chair to bed? |
None = 0 Some = 1 A lot or unable without help = 2 |
|
Climb stairs |
How much difficulty do you have climbing a flight of 10 stairs? |
None = 0 Some = 1 A lot or unable = 2 |
|
Falls |
How many times have you fallen in the past year? |
None = 0 1-3 falls = 1 4 or more falls = 2
|
|
TOTAL SCORE - (SCORING: A score of 0-3 = low risk of sarcopenia A score ≥ 4 = at risk of sarcopenia .)
AUTHOR: Malmstrom TK, Morley JE. Sarcopenia: the target population. J Frailty Aging 2013; 2: 55–56
***There are other component also Viz. Osteoporosis, elder’s abuse, urinary incontinence, cancer screening, those may be taken into account.