Why Screen for Functional Disability in Elderly Persons?

Editorials1 May 1990Why Screen for Functional Disability in Elderly Persons?Mark E. Williams, MDMark E. Williams, MDSearch for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-112-9-639 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptFunction, the ability to manage daily routines, is a major concern of the elderly patient. Functional assessment, therefore, is an integral part of proper geriatric care. But an older person's ability to manage everyday routines cannot be determined confidently from the names of the diseases he or she may have or from the length of the problem list. For example, an octogenarian with systolic hypertension, congestive heart failure, maturity-onset diabetes mellitus, severe osteoarthritis, and frequent urinary tract infections and with a past history of a femoral fracture, might be an active political leader, a vigorous community volunteer, or a severely...References1. National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference Statement: geriatric assessment methods for clinical decision-making. J Am Geriatr Soc. 1988;36:342-7. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. Comprehensive functional assessment for elderly patients. Health and Public Policy Committee, American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med. 1988;109:70-2. LinkGoogle Scholar3. Lachs M, Feinstein A, and Cooney L. A simple procedure for general screening of functional disability in elderly patients. Ann Intern Med. 1990;112:699-706. LinkGoogle Scholar This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Mark E. Williams, MD PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byComprehensive Geriatric AssessmentNaturalistic outcomes of minor and subsyndromal depression in older primary care patientsPhysical Performance Measures in the Clinical SettingTiredness as Determinant of Subsequent Use of Health and Social Services among Nondisabled Elderly PeopleAppraisal of Clinical, Psychosocial, and Environmental Health of Elderly in Saudi Arabia: A Household SurveyInstrumenten voor patiëntonderzoekA comparative study of factors related to carrying out physical activities of daily living (PADL) among 75-year-old men and women in two nordic localitiesFactors related to carrying out everyday activities among elderly people aged 80Correlates of Impaired Function in Older WomenTrigger events that indicate the need for proxy decision-making in cognitively impaired older personsDeterminants of disability in alzheimer's diseaseFactors related to coping with physical and instrumental activities of daily living among people born in 1904-1923Dependency in old age: A comparison of mental and physical factorsEffect of Education on the Mini-Mental State Examination as a Screening Test for DementiaNutritional Problems of the ElderlyVascular Disease and Depression 1 May 1990Volume 112, Issue 9Page: 639-640KeywordsAgingDisabilitiesElderlyGeriatric careHeart failureHypertensionOsteoarthritisType 2 diabetes ePublished: 1 December 2008 Issue Published: 1 May 1990 PDF downloadLoading ...