Evaluating functional independence in older adults using subscales of the Berg Balance Scale

Background/Purpose: Difficulties in evaluating the functional independence of older adults are often encountered, and the evaluation process is time-consuming on an outpatient basis. The purpose of our study was to establish a simple and objective way to evaluate the functional independence level of older adults in their daily life. Methods: Patients aged 65 years or older from the geriatric outpatient department of a medical center in Taiwan were recruited. Those with significant functional dependence, psychiatric disorders, cognitive impairment, uncorrected visual problems, and postural hypotension were excluded. The participants were examined using the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and the Functional Independence Measure (FIM). Statistical analysis was done to evaluate the relationship between the subscales. Results: A total of 47 participants with an average age of 81.02 years (interquartile range 79-85) were recruited, and their scores on the BBS were significantly correlated with their scores on the FIM (r = 0.705, p < 0.001). The subscale "sitting to standing" on the BBS correlated with most items in the FIM; the correlation coefficient between this subscale and the total score of the FIM was also the highest among all the subscales of the BBS (r = 0.623, p < 0.001). In addition, the scores on the FIM were shown to be significantly different among the subscale "sitting to standing", scoring 4, 3, or <= 2. Conclusion: In our study, the subscale "sitting to standing" was shown to be the most sensitive among the subscales of the BBS to evaluate functional independence. Therefore, the performance of "sitting to standing" is suggested to be an objective measure to evaluate the functional independence in activities of daily living of older adults; it is easy and simple to perform in everyday clinical practice. Copyright (C) 2014, Asia Pacific League of Clinical Gerontology & Geriatrics. Published by Elsevier Taiwan LLC.