Hierarchical decline of the initiative and performance of complex activities of daily living in dementia

Objectives: While basic activities of daily living hierarchically decline in dementia, little is known about the decline of individual instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs). The objective of this study was to assess initiative and performance deficits in IADLs in dementia.

Methods: A total of 581 carers completed the revised Interview for Deterioration in Daily Living Activities in Dementia 2 to rate their relative’s everyday functioning.

Results: Initiating and performing IADLs deteriorated hierarchically, while people with dementia were consistently most impaired in initiating using the computer and managing finances. Initiating preparing a cold or hot meal and managing finances were more impaired than their performance, whereas performing maintaining an active social life for example were more impaired than their initiative.

Conclusion: Findings can help identify the severity of dementia by understanding deficits in initiative and performance. This study has implications for the development of targeted interventions depending on the stage of dementia.