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

doi:10.1067/mgn.2003.8

Geriatric Nursing

Volume 24, Issue 1, January–February 2003, Pages 40-43

https://doi.org/10.1067/mgn.2003.8 Get rights and content

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)

Section snippets

Literature

Nearly 50 years ago, Virginia Henderson said nurses are responsible for their patients 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. The basis for their care is an assessment that helps the nurse support patients' needs so they can maintain their daily activities, including physical and psychosocial functions.² However, the losses of autonomy, independence, and self-sufficiency are great sources of anguish for sick people and cause distress and dependence on others for intimate help.³ The fear of being

Methods

The CDS was part of a questionnaire used in a prevalence study¹⁹ about pressure ulcers, falls, and care dependency in Berlin in April 2001. Data were collected from more than 3,000 informed patients in 11 hospitals (85.4% response rate). Data were analyzed from patients 60 years and older (n = 1806) using SPSS (Chicago, Il.) 10.0 software.

This study investigated one aspect of reliability. The homogeneity was determined by Cronbach's alpha. One important part of validity is the criterion-related

Results

Ranging in age from 60 to 106, the patients' mean age was 75.4 (SD = 9.4). The majority of 60, 2% (n = 1088) were female. Most diagnoses were illnesses of the circulation system (25.4%), followed by neoformation (16.1%).

One method for assessing internal consistency is Cronbach's alpha. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the CDS in this study was.98. This value constitutes a high degree of internal consistency and compares well with other psychometric studies on the CDS. The reliability

Discussion

The internal consistency of the CDS was determined by Cronbach's alpha and showed a good result. Investigation of the validity aspect also was very satisfying. In general, the CDS can be recommended for use in hospitals, especially by nurses, as a quick and easy instrument. Therefore, the chance of resistance and rejection in clinical practice is small. The scale can be implemented in every documentation system and is useful across disciplines. Appropriate care can be offered after the

Recommendations

Although the study sample was large, some patient groups were small, such as those on otorhinolaryngology, ophthalmology, and urology wards. Therefore, it is recommended to test the CDS with a greater or more diverse sample. It also is necessary to test the scale in home care settings. The application of additional reliability aspects, such as interrater and intrarater reliability, also are recommended.

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

Abstract

Section snippets

Literature

Methods

Results

Discussion

Recommendations

Soc Sci Med

Gesundheitsberichterstattung 1999

The nature of nursing. A definition and its implications for practice, research and education

Facing the issue of dependence: some implications from the literature for the hospice and hospice nurses

J Adv Nurs

The dependency-support script in institutions: generalisation to community settings

Psychol Aging

The many faces of dependency in old age

Factors affecting the quality of nursing care: the patient's perspective

Int J Nurs Pract

Indicators of quality of care in clinics: patient's perspectives

J Heath Qual

Oncology patient's perception of quality nursing care

Res Nurs Health

A comparison of patient needs as ranked by patients and nurses

Scand J Caring Sci

Geriatric nursing assessment—the use of a standardized assessment instrument in a clinical setting

Scand J Caring Sci

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