Tools

A simple screening tool which takes approximately 3-5 minutes to administer and can uncover cognitive impairment in its earliest stages.

A teaching tool for patients that reinforces whether they should call their home health agency or 911 if they become symptomatic.

An on-line tutorial for non-clinicians developed by the National Institute on Aging. It covers common sleep disorders seen among older adults, their diagnosis and treatment, and tips for sleeping well.

The Norton Scale is an easy tool to help assess additional factors that increase risk for developing pressure ulcers. Posted and reprinted with permission of the Centre for Policy on Ageing, www.cpa.org.uk.
 

A pain intensity scale where patients are asked to rate the intensity of their pain using a 0-to-10 scale on which 0 equals no pain and 10 represents the worst possible pain.

A list of questions to help older patients discuss nutrition concerns with their health care providers.

A presentation that can be easily modified to educate home health aides about the warning signs of poor nutrition and the practical steps to maintain and improve nutritional health for older patients. Warning signs include: unintended weight loss, dehydration, pressure ulcers, and complications from tube feeding. A Spanish version is also available.

A quick 10-item questionnaire that can accurately identify older persons at risk for low nutrient intake and health problems. The checklist is easy to administer and can help identify patients who may benefit from nutritional counseling or home delivered meals.

This brief protocol addresses orthostasis in older adults.  It includes guidelines for medication use, suggestions for informing the physician, and a table of commonly used groups of drugs that can cause or exacerbate this problem. Developed as part of the Medication Management Improvement System (MMIS) Toolkit.  http://www.homemeds.org/landing_pages/21,3.html

A structured tool for planning and documenting a small test of change.