Question

Functional and Environmental Assessment of the Older Adult

Answer 1

Ans) Functional assessment: Asking patients about their abilities to perform tasks or by observing them perform tasks.

- Provides a baseline for continuing comparison, predicts prognosis, and provides objective measures to determine treatment efficacy.

3 Things in functional assessment are:

1) Activities of daily living: Tasks that are necessary for self-care, such as eating/feeding, bathing, grooming, toileting, walking, and transferring.

2 Instrumental activities of daily living:

- Functional abilities necessary for independent community living, such as shopping, meal preparation, housekeeping, laundry, managing finances, taking medications, and using transportation.

3) Mobility:

Environmental assessment: Assessment of an individual's home environment and community system, including hazards in the home.

Adjusting the environment for the older adult assessment:

room temp; room lighting; face pt directly and sitting at eye level; quiet room that is free of distractions and noise; adopt low speaking tones; ensure pt is using corrective lenses if needed; appropriate furniture.