With aged population enlarging, there is increasing consensus among health care workers about importance of developing a tool to measure and evaluate health of elderly in terms of physical and psychosocial (ie, multidimensional) aspects for the purpose of assessing health needs, nursing needs and psychosocial needs of the aged. But little attempt has been made for it in Korea to this date.
The purpose of this study is; first, to develop a tool to measure health needs and evaluate the health status of the aged, second, to examine the applicability and reliability of the tool by applying it to the hospitalized elderly.
Followings are the findings of the study
1. The assessment tool was structured through analysis of 20 assessment tools, which were developed in America and Korea. The tool is formed with 19 items of physical ability and 18 items of cognitive ability. Some modifications were made by the pilot study results.
2. The completed tool was applied to 97 of 60 or older hospitalized elderly patients (49 male, 48 female) from March 1985 to May 1985.
3. General characteristics of subjects are approximately the same as those of national statistics except higher educational levels and higher rate of protestants among subjects.
4. In physical characteristics, 74.2% used eyeglasses, 53.6% used dentures, 11.8% were positive in urine sugar and 11. 6% were positive in urine albumin.
5. In application of physical ability scale, mean score was 80. 3, and the reliability were high (cronbach´s a=0. 95). The employed who were living with their spouses had higher physical ability score, but no statistical significance was demonstrated. Also no statistically significant correlation showed between age and physical ability score. 6. In cognitive ability scale, the mean score was 77.3; reliability was high (cronbach´s a= 0.93). Significantly higher score reported in male who were living with their spouses, and more educated. The employed had higher score than the unemployed, but no statistical significance was revealed. No significant correlation between age and cognitive ability score was present.
7. Chi square analysis with the groups of high and low physical ability score and the groups of high and low cognitive ability score revealed significant association between them (x2=27-89314, p=0.0001, phi=0. b6).
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