Assessment of discomfort in advanced Alzheimer patients.
An objective scale for measuring discomfort in noncommunicative patients with advanced Alzheimer's disease was empirically generated from the perspectives of nursing staff practicing on special care Alzheimer units and was judged to have content validity. On the basis of a pilot test, the discomfort scale was reduced to nine items. Quantifiable scoring procedures and a rater training program were developed. The scale (DS-DAT) was tested longitudinally for 6 months with 82 subjects at two sites. Psychometric properties, measurement issues, and recommendations for use in practice and research are discussed.
Hurley
A C
AC
Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center, Edith Norse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital, Bedford, MA 01730.
Volicer
B J
BJ
Hanrahan
P A
PA
Houde
S
S
Volicer
L
L
D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000451:nursing* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D001519:Behavior; D005149:Facial Expression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007697:Kinesics; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015203:Reproducibility of Results