J Korean Geriatr Psychiatry.  2005 Dec;9(2):140-147.

The Validity of the Assessment Tools for the Korean Long-Term Care System

• Hong NR
• Yeon BK
• Kim HC
• Ryu SG
• Chung GH
• Han CH

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
For the further development of the Korean Long-Term Care System, we analyzed the validity of the assessment tools of cognitive impairment and behavioral problems for the Korean Long-Term Care System.
METHODS
We investigated 326 elderly people who were residing in Onyang 4-dong and Dogo-myun, Asan-si, Chungcheongnamdo. Our research team visited their residence and performed the assessment tools for the Korean Long-Term Care System and Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE-K), Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Questionnaire (NPI-Q) and Seoul-Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (S-IADL).
RESULTS
The correlation between the cognitive function tests and MMSE-K (r=0.579, p<0.001) and that between the behavioral problem tests and NPI-Q (r=0.688, p<0.001) were not as good as we expected. Moreover, if the items of the behavioral problem tests were decreased to 10 items as the government wanted, we got much lower correlation coefficiency. The cognitive function tests could not detect early cognitive deterioration in dementia.
CONCLUSION
The assessment tools of cognitive impairment and behavioral problems for the Korean Long-Term Care System need modifications to promote validity.

Keyword

Long-term care; Geriatric assessment; Aged; Validity

MeSH Terms

Activities of Daily Living
Aged
Chungcheongnam-do
Dementia
Geriatric Assessment
Humans
Long-Term Care*