The development of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and health (ICF) checklist for Alzheimer’s disease home-based community care: a multi-method study

PURPOSE: To develop an International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) Checklist tailored to the home-based community care needs of individuals with Alzheimer's Disease (AD), known as the ICF-ADHC, to support person-centred functional assessment and interdisciplinary care planning. METHOD: A multi-method study was conducted in three phases. First, a literature review identified candidate ICF categories related to AD home-based community care, which were extracted and linked using standardized ICF linking rules. Second, interviews with 22 family caregivers were conducted to explore perceived care needs of individuals with AD, and the qualitative data were similarly linked to ICF categories. Third, a two-round Delphi survey with 14 experts in geriatric care, rehabilitation, and dementia was used to validate and refine the candidate categories. Final selection was based on importance ratings and advisory panel discussions. RESULTS: The finalized ICF-ADHC includes 43 categories: 13 categories from body functions, 15 from activities and participation, and 15 from environmental factors. These categories capture essential domains for assessing and planning home-based care for individuals with AD. CONCLUSIONS: The ICF-ADHC provides a comprehensive and standardized checklist for assessing the functional and contextual needs in AD home-based community care. It facilitates comprehensive assessment and supports individualized care planning.