The use of proxy / informant reports for people with dementia

The progressive deterioration of cognitive and functional abilities in people with dementia presents a number of practical problems for the measurement of health outcomes using self-report health status instruments for people with cognitive impairment; the need for better survey design for older people using universal design principles; the time constraints involved with assessment; as well as test administration issues like test-taker in attention and compliance, or alternatively, test-taker burden and distress.