A geriatric functional rating scale to determine the need for institutional care.

This study was carried out to validate a rating scale which could serve as a guide in determining the need for institutional care. The scale assesses the subject's physical and mental disability, balanced against his ability to function and the support available from relatives and community resources. Cut-off points were tested by the use of an 18-month follow-up interval. Initially, 130 aged men and women from three different settings were rated. At the time of follow-up eighteen months later, 83 per cent of the subjects who had obtained an initial score indicative of their inability to function in the community were either dead or in an institution. In contrast, 90 per cent of those who obtained an initial score indicating that they were able to continue in the community, were not in an institution at the time of follow-up. The rating scale can be used not only to help decide the need for institutional care, but also to help determine the most suitable setting for the patient if placement is necessary.