Table 2.
Elements of a comprehensive geriatric assessment
| Parameter assessed | Elements and tools of the assessment |
| Demographic and social status | Questions on living situation, marital status, educational level, safety of the environment, financial resources, caregiver burden |
| Functional status | Performance status index |
| ADLs | |
| IADLs | |
| Barthel index | |
| Pepper assessment tool for disability | |
| Visual and/or hearing impairment, regardless of use of glasses or hearing aid | |
| Mobility problem (requiring help or use of walking aid) | |
| Timed Get Up and Go | |
| One-leg standing balance test | |
| Walking problems, gait assessment, and gait speed | |
| Karnofsky health care professional-rated performance rating scale | |
| Comorbidity | Charlson comorbidity index |
| CIRS | |
| No. of comorbid conditions | |
| Summary of comorbidities | |
| NYHA | |
| Cognition | Mini Mental State Examination Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly Modified Mini Mental State Examination |
| Clock-drawing test | |
| Blessed Orientation-Memory-Concentration | |
| Emotional conditions (Depression) | Geriatric Depression Scale |
| Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale | |
| Mental health index | |
| Presence of depression (as a geriatric syndrome) | |
| Nutrition | Weight loss (unintentional loss in 3 or 6 mo) |
| Mini Nutritional Assessment Short Nutritional | |
| DETERMINE Nutritional Index | |
| Polypharmacy | Number of medications |
| Appropriateness of medications | |
| Risk of drug interactions | |
| Geriatric syndromes | Dementia |
| Delirium | |
| Depression | |
| Falls | |
| Neglect and abuse | |
| Spontaneous bone fractures and osteoporosis | |
| Incontinence (fecal and/or urinary) | |
| Constipation | |
| Sarcopenia |
Data adapted from Wildiers et al[25]. ADL: Activity of daily living; CIRS: Cumulative Illness Rating Scale; CIRS-G: Cumulative Illness Rating Scale-Geriatrics; DETERMINE: Disease, Eating poorly, Tooth loss/mouth pain, Economic hardship, Reduced social contact, Multiple medicines, Involuntary weight loss/gain, Needs assistance in self-care, Elder years > 80; ECOG: Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group; IADL: Instrumental activity of daily living; PS: Performance status; NYHA: New York Heart Association.