Behavioural Activities in Demented Geriatric Patients

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
A total of 136 patients in a psychogeriatric department (mean age 76.4) were evaluated by members of the nursing staff on behavioural variables (mobility, washing, dressing, eating, control of bladder and bowels, ability to communicate, orientation in space, recognition of persons, participation, hobbies, sleep, quietness). This dementia test, which is a modification of Isaacs and Walkey’s [1964] test, was carried out on 124 of the patients. The results suggested that some behavioural activities disappear at the onset of dementia, whereas others are not lost until a late phase. Certain abilities are lost within a relatively short period, while others deteriorate more slowly. It further seemed that demented old people can be classified confidently into different degree-of-dementia groups in terms of psychometric test scores. The test scores correlated well with the ability to communicate (r = 0.82), orientation in space (r = 0.76) and recognition of persons (r = 0.74), and they also bore a marked positive relationship to most of the other behavioural variables.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: