STABILITY AND CHANGE IN FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT OF PATIENTS WITH GEROPSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS

Objectives. Functional assessments of patients with geropsychiatric di sorders accomplished by self-rating, informant rating, and performance test were compared. Method. Fifty-eight inpatients with major depress ion or progressive dementia were evaluated on three occasions over 6 m onths with informant and patient versions of the Activities of Daily L iving Scale of the Older Americans Resources and Services Multidimensi onal Functional Assessment (OARS-ADL) and with the Performance Assessm ent of Self-Care Skills (PASS). Results. Patients' scores became signi ficantly worse (p < .01) on the informant version of the OARS-ADL and the PASS. Self-ratings with the OARS-ADL did not worsen significantly (p > .05). Conclusion. Agreement between informant rating and performa nce test concerning functional status of patients with dementia was go od. Elderly patients with depression may experience subtle deteriorati on that only becomes apparent on performance tests.