Because of the demands of a busy clinical practice, most geriatric assessments tend to be less comprehensive and more problem-directed. Well-validated tools and survey instruments for evaluating activities of daily living, hearing, fecal and urinary continence, balance, and cognition are an important part of the geriatric assessment. It usually yields a more complete and relevant list of medical problems, functional problems, and psychosocial issues. The geriatric assessment differs from a standard medical evaluation by including nonmedical domains by emphasizing functional capacity and quality of life and, often, by incorporating a multidisciplinary team. The geriatric assessment aids in the diagnosis of medical conditions development of treatment and follow-up plans coordination of management of care and evaluation of long-term care needs and optimal placement. Specific elements of physical health that are evaluated include nutrition, vision, hearing, fecal and urinary continence, and balance. It is usually initiated when the physician identifies a potential problem. The geriatric assessment is a multidimensional, multidisciplinary assessment designed to evaluate an older person's functional ability, physical health, cognition and mental health, and socioenvironmental circumstances.
0 kommentar(er)
