Intent:
To document and describe the person's interaction patterns and adaptation to his or her social environment. To assess the degree to which the person is involved in social activities, meaningful roles, and daily pursuits.
Definitions:
Participation
in social activities of long-standing interest —
The person engaged
in social activities that have been of long-standing interest to him or
her. The activities may be quite varied and should be counted as long
as they involve interaction with at least one other person. Examples
include attending meetings of informal clubs or religious services; playing
bridge or bingo; volunteering at the local clothing bank; gossiping with
the neighbors on their front porches in the evening, etc.
Visit by a long-standing social relation or family member —
The person was visited by any family member, friend or social acquaintance with a long-standing
relationship with the person (e.g., a
neighbor or fellow member of a community organization or religious group).
The focus here is on well-established, informal ties rather than visits
by paid staff, volunteers or new acquaintances.
Other interaction with long-standing social relation or family member (e.g., telephone or e-mail) —
The person interacted
through a means other than a face-to-face visit with a family member,
friend or social acquaintance with a long-standing relationship with the
person (e.g., neighbor, fellow member of community organization or religious
group). As above, the focus is on well-established, informal ties rather
than contacts by paid staff, volunteers or new acquaintances.
Conflict or anger with family or friends —
The person expresses
feelings such as abandonment, ingratitude on part of the family, lack
of under-standing by close friends, or hostility regarding relationships
with family or friends.
Fearful of a family member or close acquaintance —
The person ex-presses
(verbally or through behavior) fear of a family member or close acquaintance.
Fear can be expressed in many ways. A person may state that
she or he is afraid of a caregiver, or appears to withdraw whenever the
caregiver is around. This may include fear of physical or emotional
abuse or mistreatment. It is not necessary to establish the reason for
the fear, only to determine whether it is present.
Neglected, abused, or mistreated —
The person experienced a serious or life-threatening situation or condition that went untreated or appropriately acknowledged. The situation may have put the person at risk of death, or other complications that impinge on physical and mental health.
Process:
Ask the person for his or her point of view. What activities does she or he enjoy participating in? When was the last time she or he was able to participate? Who tends to come to visit, and when was the last time that individual visited? Are there other ways the person contacts family or friends (e.g., telephone, e-mail)? Is the person generally content or unhappy in relationships with family and friends? If the person is unhappy, what specifically is he or she unhappy about?
If possible, also talk with family members and friends who visit or have frequent telephone contact with the individual. The primary caregiver may have a good sense of who visits or contacts the person. She or he can also describe the most common social activities the person was involved in recently.
Coding:
0. Never
1. More than 30 days ago
2. 8 to 30 days ago
3. 4 to 7 days ago
4. In last 3 days
8. Unable to determine
Note: Use code 8 (Unable to determine) if no information is available from the person or other informants about the person’s social relation-ships.
Example:
Mr. H. tells the assessor he has to do what his daughter says or “she gets mad with me.” He said that he sees her every weekend and she “bosses” him around. When the assessor talks to his daughter, she reports no conflict.
Code as “1” (Yes, openly expresses conflict in last week.)