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Page 32
allied
academies
August 16-17, 2018 | Copenhagen, Denmark
Dementia and Alzheimer ’s Disease
10
th
World congress on
Journal of Neurology and Neurorehabilitation Research | Volume: 3
Adapting the Tinetti tool for balance and gait for person with dementia
Bettina Von Kampen
Asia University, Taiwan
Background:
A recent review of the literature reveals an
absence of standardizedmeasures to assess mobility in persons
with advanced dementia. Persons with moderate to severe
dementia have significant difficulty adhering to instructions.
The aim of the study was to develop a standardized measure
of gait and balance for use with persons with dementia. We
chose to modify the ‘Tinetti Assessment Tool for Balance and
Gait’ because many of the items are based on observation.
Modification of test items requires analysis of reliability prior to
establishing validity.
Objective:
To determine the inter-rater and test-retest reliability
of ‘Tinetti Assessment Tool for Balance and Gait-Dementia’.
Methods:
Inter-rater reliability: Participants were observed and
scored simultaneously by two raters familiar with the written
instructions (physiotherapy, occupational therapy or nursing
staff) Test-retest.
Reliability:
The test was re-administered after 10 to 30
minutes. Results: A total of n=20 participants were recruited
and included. The mean age of participants was 75 with the
majority being female (n=11, 55%). All were diagnosed with
dementia or cognitive impairment. Secondary diagnoses
include heart disease, diabetes and Parkinson’s disease. The
mean cognitive assessment (SMMSE) score was 8.5/30 (n=12).
Inter-rater reliability of the total score was high (r=0.90) as was
test-retest reliability (r=0.92).
Discussion:
These results are comparable to established
reliability of the original Tinetti tool (r>0.8). The results indicate
that themodifiedmeasurehas sufficient reliability tocommence
validity testing. Developing a measure that assesses functional
changes in this population is important for determining the
impact of mobilization and least restraint programs for people
with dementia in long term care. Further study will establish
validity of the cut score for predicting falls risk.
e:
bettina-gov@unipd.com