[Assessment of indications for admission to a nursing home: evaluation of the questionnaire indication Alkmaar].
This article aims at testing an assessment schedule which is generally applied in order to determine the necessity and urgency of admission into a home for the aged. The central question concerns the extent to which this schedule contributes to (1) objectivity, implying that applicants with similar 'needs' will have an equal opportunity of being admitted to the requested provision, and (2) efficiency, meaning that a clear distinction in the urgency of admission is being made according to the seriousness of 'needs'. The research therefore concentrates on two topics. First, the homogeneity and statistical reliability of the assessment schedule, i.e. the questionnaire which is used for measuring the need for (institutional) care. Second, the statistical association between the measured need and the urgency of admission into a home for the aged. The research rests upon data on 164 older adults who have requested for admission; this data were obtained by a local agency responsible for need-assessment in relation to institutional care. The findings are as follows: (1) the homogeneity of the instrument can be improved, (2) the reliability is fairly good, (3) the association between 'need' and 'urgency of admission' is not very strong, notwithstanding the fact that (4) persons with lower scores on ADL- and IADL-capacities, with more psycho-social problems and with stronger feelings of anxiety have significantly better opportunities of being admitted to a residential facility. It is concluded that the association between 'need' and 'urgency of admission' might be improved by refining the assessment schedule and standardizing its application.
Mehciz
M
M
Onderwijs-adviesbureau van de Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
van Tilburg
T
T
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006707:Homes for the Aged / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007326:Institutionalization; D008297:Male; D010343:Patient Admission; D015203:Reproducibility of Results