1
Assessing the Functional Elements of the Older Adult
Chasidy Ward
South University
,Functional assessment
Assessing the Functional Elements of the Older Adult
Completing a comprehensive assessment of an adult over 65 is a way for the nurse to
identify any issues that need attention and help the patient have the best quality of life possible.
The purpose of the screening is to provide care, preempt disease, retain good health, keep a
record of health, minimize disabilities, and give a holistic approach to independent living (lecture
online,wk.2). Various tools can be used to assess the patient for the functional ability during an
assessment. I will use nursing tools that are applicable to the interviewed subject and analyze
where potential problem areas are. After analyzing the information gathered, I will then connect
the dots with formulating interventions for the problems identified. I will be discussing a 77-
year-old female, AW, who lives independently at home alone.
The Patient interview
To ensure privacy of the person being discussed, I will refer to the interviewee as AW.
AW lives alone in her single floor home close to her daughter and granddaughter. For the past
seventy years she has had very few medical issues which include, arthritis, vision impairment,
bursitis and plantar fasciitis (personal conversation, Appendix A) AW’s view on life is holistic
and autonomous. AW has a good sense of control of her medical problems and indicates that she
is “in good health”. AW agreed to a comprehensive assessment and each tool used was
explained to her in detail. I believe her cognitive status was intact to understand and consent to
this project. I will first discuss, as a nurse, the focus of assessment is on the day to day activities.
Assessment tools1
By nursing standards, the functional assessment is completed to measure a person’s
ability to perform day to day task of living and self -care (Miller, 2015, p.100). The first tool I
will discuss is the Tinetti Balance tool. The use of this tool was to assess AW’s steadiness, gait,
, Functional assessment
and her overall ability to move sit and walk. Using verbal instructions, AW was asked to perform
simple task such as sitting and standing, turning around and walking steps. There were an
achievable 28 points to attain and AW scored a 27 on the Tinetti (see Appendix B). With an
almost perfect score, I did not feel that this was a problem area for her plan of care.
The next tool described is the Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living,
referred to as the Katz ADL. This tool is used to measure an elder person’s independent daily life
duties. Such duties included, bathing, dressing, and toileting. The tool uses 6 activities of daily
life to score the patient, and a possible total score of 6. For the Katz ADL assessment, AW scored
a 6 (see Appendix C). The objective view of this tool indicates no need for interventions at this
time. I would recommend that she is evaluated yearly for any decline now that a baseline has
been established. The next assessment was of the home, using the Assessment of Home Safety
Tool.
The importance of the home assessment is to identify any fall risk factors as well as
identify any environmental factors that positively or negatively affect safety, functioning, and
quality of life (Miller, 2015, p.106). Having a safe home environment include proper lighting,
removal of rugs and furniture, as well as efficient heating and cooling of the home. Good lighting
in the home is often overlooked, but it is essential to reading, and other activities enjoyed by the
older adult. Proper lighting also helps to avoid tripping over objects, and seeing a wet area that
the person may slip on. The proper climate of a home is also a vital part of quality of living,
making sure that the person is comfortable where they spend most of their time. I used
recommendations for the home safety assessment from the text by Miller (2015) and from the
Medscape website to create a tailored version for AW (see appendix D). From this assessment
there were identifiable needs for intervention to make the home safer. The problems identified
Assessing the Functional Elements of the Older Adult
Chasidy Ward
South University
,Functional assessment
Assessing the Functional Elements of the Older Adult
Completing a comprehensive assessment of an adult over 65 is a way for the nurse to
identify any issues that need attention and help the patient have the best quality of life possible.
The purpose of the screening is to provide care, preempt disease, retain good health, keep a
record of health, minimize disabilities, and give a holistic approach to independent living (lecture
online,wk.2). Various tools can be used to assess the patient for the functional ability during an
assessment. I will use nursing tools that are applicable to the interviewed subject and analyze
where potential problem areas are. After analyzing the information gathered, I will then connect
the dots with formulating interventions for the problems identified. I will be discussing a 77-
year-old female, AW, who lives independently at home alone.
The Patient interview
To ensure privacy of the person being discussed, I will refer to the interviewee as AW.
AW lives alone in her single floor home close to her daughter and granddaughter. For the past
seventy years she has had very few medical issues which include, arthritis, vision impairment,
bursitis and plantar fasciitis (personal conversation, Appendix A) AW’s view on life is holistic
and autonomous. AW has a good sense of control of her medical problems and indicates that she
is “in good health”. AW agreed to a comprehensive assessment and each tool used was
explained to her in detail. I believe her cognitive status was intact to understand and consent to
this project. I will first discuss, as a nurse, the focus of assessment is on the day to day activities.
Assessment tools1
By nursing standards, the functional assessment is completed to measure a person’s
ability to perform day to day task of living and self -care (Miller, 2015, p.100). The first tool I
will discuss is the Tinetti Balance tool. The use of this tool was to assess AW’s steadiness, gait,
, Functional assessment
and her overall ability to move sit and walk. Using verbal instructions, AW was asked to perform
simple task such as sitting and standing, turning around and walking steps. There were an
achievable 28 points to attain and AW scored a 27 on the Tinetti (see Appendix B). With an
almost perfect score, I did not feel that this was a problem area for her plan of care.
The next tool described is the Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living,
referred to as the Katz ADL. This tool is used to measure an elder person’s independent daily life
duties. Such duties included, bathing, dressing, and toileting. The tool uses 6 activities of daily
life to score the patient, and a possible total score of 6. For the Katz ADL assessment, AW scored
a 6 (see Appendix C). The objective view of this tool indicates no need for interventions at this
time. I would recommend that she is evaluated yearly for any decline now that a baseline has
been established. The next assessment was of the home, using the Assessment of Home Safety
Tool.
The importance of the home assessment is to identify any fall risk factors as well as
identify any environmental factors that positively or negatively affect safety, functioning, and
quality of life (Miller, 2015, p.106). Having a safe home environment include proper lighting,
removal of rugs and furniture, as well as efficient heating and cooling of the home. Good lighting
in the home is often overlooked, but it is essential to reading, and other activities enjoyed by the
older adult. Proper lighting also helps to avoid tripping over objects, and seeing a wet area that
the person may slip on. The proper climate of a home is also a vital part of quality of living,
making sure that the person is comfortable where they spend most of their time. I used
recommendations for the home safety assessment from the text by Miller (2015) and from the
Medscape website to create a tailored version for AW (see appendix D). From this assessment
there were identifiable needs for intervention to make the home safer. The problems identified
