Functional Assessment and Clinical Decision Making

Course overview

Up to one-third of adults age 65 or older fall each year, and approximately 20% of those who fall sustain a serious injury. Additionally, depression rates approach 25% in the home care (Medicare age) older adult population which significantly increases the short-term risk of hospitalization in the geriatric home care population. This course will utilize case scenarios to provide a backdrop for using functional assessment tools with older adults to identify physical (strength and endurance), cognitive (depression/dementia/delirium) and mobility (balance and fall risk) impairments. The data gathered during the assessment and examination will be incorporated into clinical decision making to foster effective triaging and/or care planning.