Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the degree of dementia and the difficulty of ADL items.
Subjects were 145 frail elderly persons (mean age 83.2 ± 7.7) who were institutionalized in a geriatric health services facility.
We based on Nishimura's Mental State Scale for the Elderly (NM Scale) on the degree of dementia and “Independence” of motor items of the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) on the difficulty of ADL items.
Cosequently there was a significant relationship between the degree of dementia and “Independence” of 11 items except “tub/shower transfers stair climbing". As for “Independence” of these 11 items there was no significant difference between the normal/border group without dementia and the mild dementia group. There was significant deterioration on 8 items in the moderate to the mild, and on 9 items in the severe to the moderate. In addition there was no difference between the normal/border and the mild with regard to the order of “Independence” of ADL items. After the level of moderate dementia, “Independence” deteriorated markedly m self-care-items except “eating", “bladder/bowel management” and the order of “Independence” also collapsed.
These results suggest that the difficulty of ADL items in the elderly with dementia may increase, particularly self-care items except “eating” and “bladder/bowel management” after the level of moderate dementia, and that the order of the difficulty may collapse.
