The role of executive control function in predicting level of care in a long-term care setting

Abstract

The population of the United States is aging. At the same time, society is attempting to manage health care costs while providing the care needed by elderly persons ir this and future generations. There is a great demand for quick, effective assessments to determine an individual's functional status in order to determine the level of care required by that person. Cognitive functioning has been shown to be a good predictor of functional status and level of care. To minimize the time and cost involved in cognitive assessment, screening tests such as the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) and the Dementia Rating Scale (DRS) are often used. A test developed based on executive control theory, the Executive Interview has been found to be more sensitive in detecting mild to moderate cognitive impairment than the MMSE.