ALFED Score Parameters
I was unable to identify the ALFED score in the provided evidence or in standard medical literature. The term "ALFED score" does not appear to be a validated or recognized assessment tool for geriatric patients with dementia or cognitive impairment.
Possible Confusion with Established Assessment Tools
The evidence provided contains numerous validated assessment instruments for dementia and cognitive impairment, but none are called "ALFED." You may be referring to one of these established tools:
Functional Assessment Tools
- FAST (Functional Assessment Staging): Stages functional decline in Alzheimer's disease through a 7-stage system, administered by interviewing the care partner or patient, with scores ranging 0-60 (higher scores indicate greater dependence) 1
- IADL (Instrumental Activities of Daily Living): Assesses management of finances, medication management, transportation, household tasks, shopping, and technology use 2
- ADL (Activities of Daily Living): Evaluates basic self-care including bathing, dressing, and toileting 3
Cognitive Assessment Tools
- MMSE (Mini-Mental State Examination): 30-point test covering orientation, registration, attention/calculation, recall, language, and visuospatial ability 3
- MoCA (Montreal Cognitive Assessment): Assesses multiple cognitive domains 2
- ADAS (Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale): Comprehensive cognitive assessment 4
Other Assessment Scales
- CDR (Clinical Dementia Rating): Stages dementia severity 4, 5
- GDS (Global Deterioration Scale): Stages cognitive decline 4
Recommendation
If you are seeking to assess a geriatric patient with dementia, I recommend clarifying which specific assessment tool you need. If "ALFED" is an acronym used in your institution or a regional variation, please provide additional context. Otherwise, the FAST scale is the most appropriate functional staging tool for Alzheimer's disease patients 1, while the MMSE remains the most widely used cognitive screening instrument 3, 2.