ABSTRACT
Introduction The literature as well as consultations with health care professionals and caregivers clearly indicates the need for a disability measure designed specifically for community-dwelling individuals with dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT). Such an instrument is essential to help clinicians and caregivers make decisions regarding the choice of suitable interventions and to monitor disease progression. In addition, as a research tool, it could be used to describe the functional characteristics of populations with DAT, the course of the disease and also as an outcome variable in intervention studies and clinical trials. The Disability Assessment for Dementia (DAD) Scale was developed in an attempt to fulfill these needs.
