The functional activities domain involves assessing a patient's ability to perform daily activities, gait and fall risk.
- For our patients who have difficulties performing these functions, geriatricians must pay extra attention to how these issues impact their other major Domains, and vice versa.
- Can help to diagnose medical problems: Parkinsonian gait, foot drop, etc.
Daily Functional Activities: This includes the patient's ADLs and IADLs.
Patients with cognitive deficits (i.e. Dementia) have difficulties performing their activities independently
Get collateral information from family and/or caregivers on true function
Distinguish functional decline due to medical or cognitive limitations
Physical Function: Balance, Gait and Falls Assessment: A fall resulting in bone fracture, head trauma or other injury has serious consequences in morbidity and mortality. One can use this assessment to determine if a patient may need one of the following:
Outpatient Physical Therapy
Durable medical equipment (DME)
Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF)
Balance: Assess a patient's ability to maintain their balance