Cognitive Impairment Test
Testing for cognitive impairment is as important to the geriatric assessment as checking the blood pressure and reviewing medications.
These are less sensitive tests, but can be helpful along with a detailed history and exam to determine if an elder is having memory loss that can lead to complications despite seeming okay.
I like to test for calculations and clock drawing.
The Mini-Cog test is a good start.
Give the person 3 words to remember.
Then have them draw an analog clock with all the numbers for “ten after eleven”. No more prompts.
After they finish, they should give you the 3 words they were to remember. If they have trouble with that they should get a complete neurological evaluation.
