The importance of ‘aging in place’ safely has been emphasized by current social and health policies, yet evaluating an older person’s ability to live independently can be challenging. One of the most effective ways to determine an older person’s future independence is by evaluating judgement, an important aspect of cognition and a predictor of function. Yet research has demonstrated that many practitioners do not feel confident in their ability to diagnose judgment and need standardized tools at their disposal. The aim of this study was to validate the Verbal Test of Practical Judgment using a a large and culturally diverse sample of adults over age 65, among nine health care facilities in Israel. A total of 133 older adults, (53-92 years old, M=74 years), completed both the VPJ evaluation and comparison assessments. A quarter of the participants (n = 32, 24.1%) were classified as having a severe impairment in practical judgment, 30% (n=40) were classified as having some impairment, and 45.9% (n=61) were classified as showing no apparent impairment. These results support the validity of the a standardized judgment assessment among a diverse population that will enable future creation of tailor-made interventions. To enable the incorporation of this assessment with the health system, the author of the VPJ and this researcher have begun to implement training sessions among occupational therapy staff in different healthcare settings.

Authors:
Yael Zilbershlag, Ono Academic College, Israel

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Yael Zilbershlag is a lecturer, researcher, and academic coordinator for geriatrics for the OT program at Ono Academic College, Israel, with a research focus on fall prevention, functional cognition, and judgment assessment in older populations.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Sunday Schedule

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