Opening up to the Katz Index.

As assessment of functional ability becomes more and more important to nurses as well as other members of the interdisciplinary team, the Katz index is a useful instrument to have available. The Katz Index is a simple instrument. This is both a strength and a deficit. The IADLs are not evaluated with the index. It has some deficits that make it less useful in rehabilitation and of more value in nursing and interdisciplinary research. In any case, it is a useful tool with which nurses should be familiar when seeking a way to measure functional ability of older adults EC.