The purpose of the study was to validate the use of the Geriatric Functional Rating Scale (GFRS) in assessing cognitively impaired individuals 65 years of age and older to determine the need for institutionalization. The population of interest consisted of individuals 65 years of age and older exhibiting cognitive impairment and residing in Delaware County, Indiana. A nonrandomized two-group experimental design was utilized for the study. Eighty subjects were selected from two subpopulations consisting of 40 institutionalized and 40 noninstitutionalized elderly.Two geriatric assessment tools were used for the study, the Mental Status Questionnaire (MSQ) and the Geriatric Functional Rating Scale (GFRS). The hypothesis for the study stated that the mean GFRS score of the noninstitutionalized subjects, the control group, would be significantly greater than the mean score of the institutionalized subjects, the experimental group.The MSQ scores as well as the means and standard deviations for the seven subscales of the GFRS were reported for the two groups. A one-tailed t-test was used to test the hypothesis. A decision with regard to the hypothesis was made at the .05 level.Findings of the study included the following:1. The subjects ranged in age from 65 to 92 years, were 90 percent female, and predominantly Protestant, 88 percent.2. The MSQ scores for the combined groups ranged from minimal cognitive impairment, 71 percent, to severe cognitive impairment, four percent.3. The total mean score on the GFRS for the institutionalized group was 6.8 indicating a need for institutionalization.4. The total score on the GFRS of the noninstitutionalized was over 10 times higher at 70.7.5. The noninstitutionalized group scored significantly higher in the GFRS (p<.00) than the institutionalized counterparts.In conclusion, the research supports the use of the Geriatric Functional Rating Scale in assessing the need for institutionalization in cognitively impaired individuals, 65 years of age and older in Delaware County, Indiana. / Department of Educational Administration and Supervision
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BSU/oai:cardinalscholar.bsu.edu:handle/181734 |
| Date | January 1988 |
| Creators | Walts, Nancy S. |
| Contributors | Patton, Don C. |
| Source Sets | Ball State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Format | 86 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm. |
| Source | Virtual Press |
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