Use of the cognitive abilities screening instrument to assess elderly persons with schizophrenia in long-term care settings

This article presents data evaluating the cognitive status of elderly persons with schizophrenia using the Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument (CASI). Comparisons between the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) and the CASI demonstrate greater specificity of the CASI in determining level of cognitive function. The authors argue that the CASI provides a comprehensive profile including nine cognitive domains. Therefore, for this understudied population in nursing homes, CASI is a more useful outcome measure for psychiatric nursing interventions designed to improve cognitive function in elderly residents with schizophrenia. Psychiatric nurses cannot hope to understand and improve what they cannot accurately assess.