Psychometric Properties of the Functional Capacity Card Sort for Caregivers of People With Dementia

Abstract

Caregiver appraisal influences care decisions and may place the person with dementia at risk. The Functional Capacity Card Sort (FCCS) was developed to determine caregiver appraisal. The objective of this study was to examine FCCS psychometric properties and utility, using data from a cross-sectional study ( N = 86). The FCCS had moderately positive association (convergent validity) with a related activities of daily living (ADL) index ( r = .43, p < .0001), weak negative association (discriminant validity) with an unrelated neuropsychiatric symptom index ( r = −.14, p = .16), and strong caregiver agreement (interrater reliability) in ranking cards from high to low function, Kendall’s W(5, 72) = 0.83, p = .0001. When compared with occupational therapy assessment, the FCCS distinguished caregiver concordant estimation (17%), underestimation (22%), and overestimation (61%) of function. The FCCS is a valid and reliable tool used in conjunction with formal assessment to identify caregiver over- or underestimation, which has implications for patient safety and caregiver education.