title: Development of a functional measure for persons with Alzheimer's disease: the disability assessment for dementia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This article describes the development of an assessment of functional disability for use with proxy-respondents of community-dwelling persons who have Alzheimer's disease as well as a study testing its reliability.
  
  
  METHODS
  Panels composed of health care professionals and caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease were used to develop the Disability Assessment for Dementia (DAD). Fifty-nine caregivers participated in the refinement of the content and the testing of reliability.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The DAD includes 40 items: 17 related to basic self-care and 23 to instrumental activities of daily living. It demonstrated a high degree of internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = .96) and excellent interrater (N = 31, ICC = .95) and test-retest (N = 45, ICC = .96) reliability. In addition, it was found not to have gender bias.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This instrument may help clinicians and caregivers of the population with Alzheimer's disease make decisions regarding the choice of suitable interventions.
authors.affiliation: School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gélinas
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gauthier
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McIntyre
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gauthier
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D003704:Dementia / Q000145:classification*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires