Preferences and life evaluations of older adults with and without dementia: reliability, stability, and proxy knowledge.
This study assessed the reliability and stability of care preferences and life evaluations among older adults with and without dementia. The study also examined spouse proxy predictions of partner responses. Test-retest reliability over 1 week, stability over 1 year, and proxy knowledge were all moderate to good, but lower for people with dementia. In all 3 areas, however, there was broad interindividual variability. People with dementia may become less reliable and stable in their self-reports, and some spouse proxies may have flawed knowledge about their partner, but dementia status alone is not sufficient to presume poor reliability or knowledge.
Carpenter
Brian D
BD
Department of Psychology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA. bcarpenter@wustl.edu
Kissel
Emily C
EC
Lee
Monica M
MM
D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D002755:Choice Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008020:Life Support Care / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology*; D019727:Proxy / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology*