Development of a functional measure for persons with Alzheimer's disease: the disability assessment for dementia.
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.
Gélinas
I
I
School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Gauthier
L
L
McIntyre
M
M
Gauthier
S
S
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