Geriatric Assessment: Literature Review

Sarah R.Stillings, MA, PT, MPT, CHT

Sarah R. (Sally) Stillings is a PT and Certified Hand Therapist in Texas. She received her physical therapy degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prior to becoming a therapist, Sally taught university-level writing courses and was assistant editor of The Journal of Craniomandibular Practice. In her extensive career as a PT, she has held a variety of clinical, teaching, administrative, and business roles, including general PT practitioner, upper extremity specialist, clinic manager, hand therapy clinic coordinator, continuing education (CE) instructor, and CE course administrator. She has also served as Executive Director of the Kellermann Foundation, a U.S. nonprofit organization supporting healthcare and community development in Uganda, East Africa. Her work now focuses on creating evidence-based CE materials for rehab professionals. Sally is a lifelong runner who celebrates all those who cover the ground.

1410 Geriatric Assessment: Literature Review—Course Objectives

After successfully completing this continuing education course, the learner should be able to:

1. Recall the challenges of providing culturally competent geriatric assessment.
2. Identify cultural limitations of current geriatric assessment tools.
3. Recognize best practices in multicultural geriatric assessment.
4. Recall the definition of clinical frailty.
5. List Clinical Practice Guideline recommendations for identifying and managing physical frailty.
6. Recognize the risk factors for developing frailty. 
7. Differentiate among the nine designations of the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS).
8. Recognize when it is appropriate to use the CFS with older adults.
9. Recognize the level of convergent validity between the electronic Frailty Index (eFI) and the CFS.
10. Identify the study design, search strategy, and main results of the systematic review examining tests of balance and muscle strength used in young seniors.
11. Recall which balance measurement tool is most appropriate for healthy young seniors.
12. Indicate ways in which the information presented in these articles is consistent with occupation-focused assessment and practice.
13. Identify how application of the information presented may improve geriatric assessment, enhance the patient experience, and help meet patient-specific functional goals.

1410 Geriatric Assessment: Literature Review—Table of Contents

Hour 1

Course Instructions 

About the Authors

Course Description

Course Objectives  

Table of Contents 

Introduction 

Article 1: 

Geriatric assessment in multicultural immigrant populations (9 pages)

Hour 2

Article 1 (continued)

Article 2: 10

Physical frailty: ICFSR International Clinical Practice Guidelines

for identification and management (21 pages)

Hour 3

Article 2 (continued)

Hour 4

Article 3: 

Clinical Frailty Scale (4 pages)

Article 4: 

The convergent validity of the electronic Frailty Index with

the Clinical Frailty Scale (7 pages)

Hour 5

Article 5: 

Performance-based clinical tests of balance and muscle strength used in

young seniors: a systematic literature review (14 pages)

Hour 6

Article 5 (continued)

Examination 

Evaluation 

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Educational Level: Intermediate

Target Audience: PT, PTA, OT, OTA, ATC

Course Completion Requirements: Passing an online exam with 70% or greater will be required to earn continuing education credit

This course is approved for 0.6 CEUS. 6 contact hours

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