Senior Assessments
We understand the unique and evolving health conditions that commonly affect older-age individuals. EMSI offers senior assessment and information services that provide you with the data you need to make accurate underwriting decisions.
Senior Assessments complement medical records and help uncover older-age health concerns. Referred to by physicians as “geriatric syndromes,” these issues may include dizziness, memory loss, dementia, delirium, incontinence, osteoporosis, malnutrition, depression, sleep disorders, frailty and falls. These conditions are frequently overlooked in the traditional underwriting process, but are important factors in assessing risk.
Our trained examiners begin by recording typical information, including medications, vitals, treating physicians, diagnoses, hospitalizations, and a urine and blood specimen. These examiners receive specialized training, so you can be certain that we send knowledgeable, courteous professionals to work with your mature clients.
They follow up with an EMSI Senior Assessment questionnaire to assess the individual’s current health status, cognitive function and ability to perform common activities. We can develop a customized form based on your specific criteria, or you may choose to use our standard form, which includes:
- A review of an individual’s ability to complete Activities of Daily Living (ADL), including eating, bathing and dressing, as well as Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL), such as cooking, cleaning, laundry, shopping, handling finances and taking medications
- A detailed cognitive evaluation, which asks applicants the date, day of the week, current location, telephone number, age, year of birth, current president and counting backward
- Examiner observations, including an applicant’s steadiness and balance, comprehension, personal grooming and living environment
We also review an individual’s functional capability, which includes lung capacity, muscle density and brain function. These functional capabilities diminish over time and contribute greatly to overall health.
Examiners gather information on lung capacity, memory function, mobility and balance, strength and agility and intellectual function. Mobility and balance are assessed using a “get up and go” timed gait test and intellectual function is measured with a Swiss cross draw or clock draw test.
When a Senior Assessment is complete, we can send the results to you via email, or you can review them online. EMSI offers the convenience of 24-hour ordering over our secure website, EMSIOnline.