Neuropsychiatric Symptoms among Frail Elderly Persons Change after a Short-term Stay in a Geriatric Health Care Facility: Two-day Reliability and Validity of Neuropsychiatric Symptom Scales

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to determine changes in neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) among frail elderly persons after short-term stays in a geriatric health care facility and the characteristics of modified Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) scales using the NPI within observational periods of two days.

Methods: Recipients of short-term residential respite care at a single geriatric health care facility in southeast Hyogo Prefecture and their primary caregivers participated in the present study. Primary caregivers compared NPS among frail elderly persons using a modified NPI scale before and after a short-term stay in the facility. The reliability and validity of modified NPI scales for two-day observational periods was assessed.

Results: The test-retest reliability and concurrent validity of the modified NPI were excellent. The NPS among frail elderly persons significantly improved after a short-term stay in the facility.

Conclusion: Modified versions of the NPI appear reliable and valid for two-day observational periods of frail elderly persons. NPS improved after a short-term stay in a geriatric health care facility.