Dementia Screening in the Elderly with Chronic Disease Using the General Practitioner Assessment of Cognition

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to describe dementia screening in older adults with chronic diseases in Banda Aceh using the General Practitioner Assessment of Cognition (GPCOG) instrument. METHODOLOGY: An exploratory -descriptive design with a cross -sectional approach was used in this study. The study sample consisted of 253 respondents selected using a purposive sampling technique. A translated and modified questionnaire was used to collect data by interviewing all respondents and several respondents' families/guardians. The frequency distribution, percentage, mean, and cross -tab analysis were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: The screening showed that 71.1% of elderly with chronic illnesses didn't have dementia, while 28.9% did show signs of dementia. Early detection of dementia through screening programs can prevent more severe cognitive impairment in older adults. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that healthcare providers, especially those in primary care, should make dementia screening more available to the community by using the right instrument, such as GPCOG, especially among the elderly population.