Núcleo Disca

Disability and citizenship

Comprehensive Gerontological Assessment: An Update on the Concept and Its Evaluation Tools in Latin America and the Caribbean—A Literature Review

Rafael Pizarro-Mena, Elena S. Rotarou, Diego Chavarro-Carvajal, Patrick Alexander Wachholz, María Fernanda López, Cristina Perdomo Delgado, Solange Parra-Soto, Isabel Barrientos-Calvo, Felipe Retamal-Walter and Gloria Riveros-Basoalto

Points of interest:

  • This article reviews the concept of Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA), a complete method for evaluating the health of older adults that considers their physical, mental, functional, and social status.
  • The article proposes updating this concept and adapting it to the reality of Latin America and the Caribbean, where the population is aging rapidly and there are still few professionals trained in geriatrics and gerontology.
  • Fifty validated assessment tools from the region were compiled to identify the needs and risks of older people.
  • It highlights the importance of applying these tools in various settings: primary care, hospitals, nursing homes, telemedicine, and community programs.
  • During the pandemic, many assessments were adapted, which opened up new possibilities for using technology in the care of older adults.
  • The article provides recommendations for improving professional training, conducting more research, creating digital applications, and designing public policies that use these assessments to enhance the quality of life of older people.

Notes:

  • The following summary was prepared by Núcleo Milenio DISCA and is based exclusively on the original publication. Therefore, it should not be used for citations or references.
  • This article was originally published in English.

(Español) Pizarro-Mena, R., Rotarou, E. S., Chavarro-Carvajal, D., Wachholz, P. A., López, M. F., Perdomo Delgado, C., Parra-Soto, S., Barrientos-Calvo, I., Retamal-Walter, F., & Riveros-Basoalto, G. (2024). Comprehensive Gerontological Assessment: An Update on the Concept and Its Evaluation Tools in Latin America and the Caribbean—A Literature Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 21(12), 1697. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21121697

 

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21121697