Functional Assessment

Question 1

Which activities are PERSONAL ADLs?

Answer 1

Eating, toileting, bathing, dressing, walking, transfering

Question 2

Which activities are INSTRUMENTAL ADLs?

Answer 2

Preparing meals, shopping, housework, driving, using telephone, managing finances etc.

Question 3

Timed “get up and go” test (TUG)

Answer 3

Get up from chair
Without using arms
Walk 3 metres (14ft)
Then back to the chair and sit down.
Can use their usual aids for test.

20 seconds: impaired mobility

May be best at allowing you to observe specific deficits (eg. proximal leg weakness if unable to rise from chair without aid of arms).

Note: Originally designed with rating 1-5, aimed at assessing falls risk. A 2013 meta-analysis of 53 studies (n = 12,800) showed that the timed “Get Up and Go” test in adults ≥60 years of age did not show a difference in scores between fallers and non-fallers who were living independently.

Question 4

which performance based test is most strongly associated with future institutionalisation and reduce survival?

habitual gait speed
tandem (heel-toe) stand time
multiple chair rise time
6MWT
max gait speed

Answer 4

the answer is A - habitual gait speed, and there is a lot of data on this subject

(who knew!?)

Question 5

in Australia and age > 65, what is the most frequent cause of disability (needing assistance or difficulties with self care)?

Answer 5

arthritis (OA)

dementia is not first

HF, COPD and DM are also not most frequent

Question 6

which of the common apperients has a long term loss of effectiveness?

Answer 6

Senna is the most common culprit