Physical Assessments
Height and weight, hip height and knee length are measured. Mid arm circumference is measured.
Grip strength
Grip strength is measured using a dynamometer. This measure has been shown to be a strong indicator of frailty.
Timed Up and Go (TUG)
This test is a tool to screen for balance problems in older people. In the TUG test, a patient is asked to get up from a chair with arms, walk three metres at normal pace, turn on the spot and return to sit in the chair.
Berg Balance Scale (BBS)
This assessment consists of 14 items that are scored on a scale of zero to four. Items include mobility tasks such as standing unsupported, turning 360 degrees and reaching forward with outstretched arm while standing.
30 metre walk
This assessment is similar to the standard gait assessment but takes place over a longer distance to investigate gait variability, which cannot be explored during the 6 metre walk.
Six Metre Walk with Gaitrite™ and the Gait Analysis Platform
Patients are asked to walk down a Gaitrite™ mat – which contains sensors – and then to return down another marked walkway. They wear two SHIMMER™ sensors on their shins and one sensor attached to their lower back.
Active stand
This assessment uses a Finometer to monitor blood pressure when a patient stands upright from lying down. Of interest is the degree of the pressure drop and recovery time.
Cognitive and Social tests
Centre of Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D)
This scale is one of the most common screening tests for helping an individual or clinician to determine depression. The eight-item version of this scale is used, which includes questions related to depressive feelings and behaviours during the past week.
Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)
The seven-item sub-scale of the HADS is scored to measure anxiety. The screening tool composes of statements related to anxiety, which the respondent must rate on a four-point scale.
Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE)
The MMSE is a 30-point questionnaire test used to screen for cognitive impairment and to estimate the severity of cognitive impairment at a given point in time and to follow the course of cognitive changes in an individual over time. In about 10 minutes it samples various functions including arithmetic, memory and orientation.
DeJong Gierveld Loneliness Scale
This scale is a 6-item self-report measure for the subjective experience of loneliness. It provides a score for overall loneliness, and sub-scores for social and emotional loneliness.
Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS)
This is an 18 items questionnaire related to perceived social support. It measures the size, closeness and frequency of contacts of a respondent’s social network. The scale includes a sum of six equally weighted items to measure levels of social support from family, neighbors and friends.
Pittsburgh Sleep Quality (PSQI)
This is a questionnaire to assess quality of sleep. The instrument provides a global score of sleep quality ranging from 0 to 21, the cut-off point for poor sleep quality being five. In addition, the scale consists of seven components. which include subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, sleep efficiency, sleep disturbances, daytime dysfunction and use of sleep medication.