Usefulness of the Frailty and Modified Barthel Indexes in the Assessment of Care Grades in Geriatric Long-term Care Service

Kim, Won Seok; Shin, Hyung Ik

Abstract

BACKGROUND: There are no additional objective tools to double-check the care grades and to assess a subject's medical status except a statement of the doctor's view in the assessment of care grades in geriatric long-term care service. Thus, we designed this study to investigate whether the frailty index(FI) and the Korean version of the modified Barthel index(K-MBI) can be useful complementary assessment tools in the assessment of care grades in geriatric long-term care service.
METHODS
Data for calculating care approved time, FI, and K-MBI were obtained from the interview of 114 home-residents(elderly >65 years of age) in Sungnam city by educated investigators.
RESULTS
There was a significant positive correlation between FI and care grade(Spearman correlation coefficient= 0.547, p<0.001). A significant negative correlation between K-MBI and care grade(Spearman correlation coefficient =-0.811, p<0.001) was demonstrated. The difference between the scores on the FI and K-MBI was significant between the care grades(p<0.001).
CONCLUSION
The FI and K-MBI had a good correlation with care approved time in geriatric long-term care service and were significantly different between the care grades. FI and K-MBI can be useful complementary assessment tools in the assessment of care grades in geriatric long-term care service.