AI-Powered Care Recommendations for Elderly Patients
The Care Placement Assessment System is an AI-powered tool designed to help healthcare professionals, families, and caregivers determine the most appropriate care setting for elderly individuals. Using machine learning algorithms trained on comprehensive geriatric assessment data, the system provides evidence-based recommendations for care placement decisions.
This tool is designed to assist in care planning decisions and should not replace professional medical judgment. All recommendations should be reviewed with qualified healthcare providers, and individual circumstances should always be considered in final care placement decisions.
For Healthcare Professionals
Ideal for doctors, nurses, social workers, and care coordinators
For Families and Caregivers
Perfect for family members, friends, and non-medical caregivers
The system can recommend five different levels of care based on the individual's needs and functional status:
Minimal assistance needed. Can live safely at home or in senior community with occasional support.
Professional caregivers provide regular assistance while maintaining independence at home.
Residential community with 24/7 staff support, meals, activities, and assistance with daily tasks.
Specialized secure environment for individuals with dementia or Alzheimer's disease.
| Feature | Medical Assessment | Family Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Target Users | Healthcare professionals, clinicians | Family members, caregivers, patients |
| Language | Medical terminology, clinical scales | Plain language, everyday terms |
| Input Method | Numeric scores (MMSE: 0-30, ADL: 0-6) | Likert scales (Excellent to Very Poor) |
| Cognitive Assessment | MMSE and MoCA scores | "How well can they remember recent events?" |
| Functional Assessment | ADL and IADL scores | "How well can they handle personal care?" |
| Results Format | Clinical recommendation with feature importance | Family-friendly explanation with next steps |
| Time to Complete | 5-10 minutes (if scores available) | 10-15 minutes (thoughtful consideration) |
Our assessment system is designed around evidence-based feature selection, focusing on the most clinically significant predictors of care placement needs.
While comprehensive geriatric assessments can include 55+ features, our system strategically focuses on the 13 most impactful features that drive care placement decisions. This approach maintains clinical accuracy while ensuring user-friendly assessments.
Impact: Cognitive function is the strongest predictor of care needs and safety
Impact: Functional dependency directly determines level of care required
Impact: Mobility limitations and fall risk drive safety-based placement decisions
Research shows that 80% of care placement decisions are driven by 20% of available features. Our 13 core features represent the most predictive variables in geriatric assessment.
Machine learning feature importance analysis consistently ranks cognitive function, ADL/IADL scores, and mobility as the top predictors - all included in our assessment.
Our features align with standard geriatric assessment tools used in clinical practice (CGA - Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment core domains).
Additional features beyond the core 13 provide marginal improvement in prediction accuracy while significantly increasing assessment complexity and time.
Missing: Blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol, BMI
Why it's OK: These are captured indirectly through primary diagnosis and comorbidities count. Care placement decisions are rarely driven by specific lab values.
Missing: Specific medications, drug interactions, compliance
Why it's OK: Medication complexity is reflected in comorbidities count and cognitive/functional scores. Specific drugs don't typically change placement recommendations.
Missing: Home safety scores, accessibility features, neighborhood resources
Why it's OK: These factors influence implementation but not the fundamental care level needed. Our social support and living situation capture the key elements.
Missing: Income, insurance coverage, financial resources
Why it's OK: These affect care access and options but not clinical care needs. Our model predicts appropriate care level, not affordability.
Our system predicts four main types of care placement based on comprehensive geriatric assessment:
For individuals who can manage all daily activities completely independently with no regular assistance needed.
For individuals who can remain at home safely with professional support services for specific needs.
Provides support with daily activities while maintaining independence and dignity in a community setting.
Specialized care for individuals with dementia, Alzheimer's, or significant cognitive impairment requiring secure environment.
24/7 medical care and supervision for complex health conditions and high care needs.
Understanding how different patient characteristics lead to specific care recommendations:
Demographics: 72-year-old female
Cognitive Status: MMSE 29, MoCA 27 (Excellent)
Functional Status: ADL 6, IADL 8 (Fully independent)
Mobility: Independent, low fall risk, drives
Social: Active social life, lives with spouse
Recommendation: Continue independent living with annual checkups
Demographics: 76-year-old male
Cognitive Status: MMSE 24, MoCA 21 (Mild impairment)
Functional Status: ADL 5, IADL 4 (Needs help with complex tasks)
Mobility: Uses cane, medication management issues
Social: Lives alone, family nearby
Recommendation: Home care services for medication and meal support
Demographics: 78-year-old male
Cognitive Status: MMSE 22, MoCA 19 (Mild impairment)
Functional Status: ADL 4, IADL 5 (Some assistance needed)
Mobility: Uses walker, medium fall risk
Social: Limited family support, lives alone
Recommendation: Assisted living for safety and social engagement
Demographics: 81-year-old female
Cognitive Status: MMSE 15, MoCA 12 (Moderate dementia)
Functional Status: ADL 3, IADL 2 (Significant assistance)
Mobility: Wandering behavior, high fall risk
Social: Family caregiver burnout
Recommendation: Memory care for specialized dementia support
Demographics: 85-year-old male
Cognitive Status: MMSE 18 (Variable due to medical issues)
Functional Status: ADL 1, IADL 0 (Dependent in most areas)
Mobility: Wheelchair bound, multiple medical devices
Medical: Multiple comorbidities requiring nursing care
Recommendation: Skilled nursing for medical complexity
While our current 13-feature model is clinically sound, here are potential enhancements for even greater accuracy:
Impact: Predicts care instability and need for higher supervision
Impact: Critical for memory care vs. assisted living decisions
Impact: Determines sustainability of home-based care
Add features gradually based on real-world usage data and prediction accuracy improvements
Implement advanced features as optional sections to maintain simplicity for basic assessments
Use conditional logic to show additional questions only when they would significantly impact predictions
Compare prediction accuracy between 13-feature and enhanced models using real assessment data
Range: 0-30 points
Purpose: Cognitive function screening
Interpretation:
Range: 0-30 points
Purpose: Detailed cognitive screening
Interpretation:
Range: 0-6 points
Purpose: Basic self-care abilities
Includes: Bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring, continence, feeding
Interpretation: Higher scores = more independence
Range: 0-8 points
Purpose: Complex daily tasks
Includes: Shopping, cooking, housekeeping, managing finances, medications
Interpretation: Higher scores = more independence
Range: 0-15 points
Purpose: Depression screening
Interpretation:
Mobility: Independent, Walker, Wheelchair, Bedbound
Fall Risk: Low, Medium, High
Social Support: None, Low, Moderate, High
Living Situation: Alone, With Family, With Spouse
What it measures: Cognitive function in everyday terms
Sample questions:
Converts to: MMSE and MoCA scores
What it measures: Independence in self-care and household tasks
Sample questions:
Converts to: ADL and IADL scores
What it measures: Physical safety and movement ability
Sample questions:
Converts to: Mobility level and fall risk
What it measures: Emotional well-being and support systems
Sample questions:
Converts to: GDS score and social support level
The family assessment uses 5-point Likert scales that are automatically converted to medical scores:
| Likert Response | Numeric Value | MMSE Equivalent | ADL Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Excellent / Very Good | 5 | 28-30 | 6 |
| Good | 4 | 24-27 | 5 |
| Fair | 3 | 20-23 | 4 |
| Poor | 2 | 12-19 | 2-3 |
| Very Poor | 1 | 0-11 | 0-1 |
Trained on comprehensive geriatric assessment data with validated clinical outcomes
Shows which factors most influenced the recommendation (MMSE, ADL, age, etc.)
Provides probability scores for each care type to indicate certainty
Instant predictions with detailed explanations and recommendations
Care needs can change over time due to health changes, medication adjustments, or life events. It's recommended to reassess every 6-12 months or when significant changes occur in the person's condition or circumstances.
Start with the Medical Assessment if you have clinical assessment scores available.
Begin with the Family Assessment for a user-friendly experience.
This assessment tool provides guidance based on functional status and care needs. The best care plan should always be developed collaboratively with healthcare professionals, the individual receiving care, and their family members, taking into account personal preferences, values, and unique circumstances.