Geriatric Nursing
Volume 24, Issue 1 , Pages 40-43, January 2003

The care dependency scale: An assessment instrument for elderly patients in German hospitals

CHRISTA LOHRMANN, RN, MA, PhD(c), is a lecturer and researcher in the Department of Nursing Science at the Centre for the Humanities and Health Sciences, Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany. ATE DIJKSTRA, RN, MEd, PhD, is a researcher in the Northern Center for Healthcare Research, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. THEO DASSEN, RN, PhD, FEANS, is a professor in the Department of Nursing Science at the Centre for the Humanities and Health Sciences at Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Abstract 

THE PURPOSE OF THE STUDY was to examine aspects of reliabillity and validity of the German version of the Care Dependency Scale (CDS), a Dutch assessment instrument originally developed for demented and mentally handicapped patients. Data of 1806 patients, 60 years or older from a larger sample, collected in 11 hospitals in Germany, were analyzed. Reliability was determined by Cronbach's alpha, showing a very good result with a value of .98. Criterion related validity was examined by comparing the data of the CDS with the German nursing personal regulation. The scores of the CDS correlate to the scores of the personal regulation. The study shows further that most elders are fairly independent and care dependecy increases with age. (Geriatr Nurs 2003;24:40-3)

 

PII: S0197-4572(02)09008-0

doi:10.1067/mgn.2003.8

Geriatric Nursing
Volume 24, Issue 1 , Pages 40-43, January 2003

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