Elderly Care: Mini Mental Status Exam
Today’s post is part of our ongoing series, The Encompass Way. Here, we’ll go over many of the steps involved in setting up a comprehensive care plan, which helps us to provide seniors and their families a complete understanding of the available care options and helps families maneuver through the challenges of the system.
The Mini Mental Status Exam (MMSE) is a quick and easy way for professional caregivers to determine the status of a patient’s cognitive abilities. It’s especially useful way to measure whether or not a person is suffering from cognitive decline brought on by an illness, as such a matter requires prompt and aggressive action. WithMMSE, a patient’s mental state is tested in the following areas: orientation, registration, recall, language and attention and calculation.
Below is the version of the MMSE that Physicians Choice Private Duty uses.
Mini Mental Status Exam
Name: ______________________ Â DOB:Â ______________________
Years of School: _______________ Date of Exam: ______________________
SCORING
Maximum score 30 — below 20 usually indicates cognitive impairment. Each correct answer is worth one point or as noted otherwise.
Orientation to time
Today’s date
-
- Correct
-
- Incorrect
Month
-
- Correct
-
- Incorrect
Year
-
- Correct
-
- Incorrect
Day of the week
-
- Correct
-
- Incorrect
Season
-
- Correct
-
- Incorrect
Orientation to Place
Where are we?
-
- Correct
-
- Incorrect
What room is this?
-
- Correct
-
- Incorrect
What city?
-
- Correct
-
- Incorrect
Country?
-
- Correct
-
- Incorrect
State?
-
- Correct
-
- Incorrect
TOTAL: _____________
Immediate Recall
Ask if you may test his/her memory. Then say “ball,” “flag,” “tree” clearly and slowly. After you said all three words, ask him/her to repeat them. The first repetition determines the score (0-3).
Ball
-
- Correct
-
- Incorrect
Flag
-
- Correct
-
- Incorrect
Tree
-
- Correct
-
- Incorrect
TOTAL: _____________
 Attention
Ask the individual to begin with 100 and count backwards by sevens. Stop after five subtractions. Score the subtractions.
93
-
- Correct
-
- Incorrect
86
-
- Correct
-
- Incorrect
79
-
- Correct
-
- Incorrect
72
-
- Correct
-
- Incorrect
65
-
- Correct
-
- Incorrect
TOTAL: _____________
Ask the individual to spell the word “WORLD” backwards. The score is the number of letters in correct order.
D
-
- Correct
-
- Incorrect
L
-
- Correct
-
- Incorrect
R
-
- Correct
-
- Incorrect
O
-
- Correct
-
- Incorrect
W
-
- Correct
-
- Incorrect
Delayed Verball Recall
Ask the individual to recall the three words you previously asked him/her to remember.
Ball
-
- Correct
-
- Incorrect
Flag
-
- Correct
-
- Incorrect
Tree
-
- Correct
-
- Incorrect
TOTAL: _____________
Naming
Show the individual a wristwatch and ask him/her what it is. Repeat the process, substituting a pencil.
Watch
-
- Correct
-
- Incorrect
Pencil
-
- Correct
-
- Incorrect
TOTAL: _____________
Repetition
Ask the individual to repeat the following:
“No if, ands or buts”
-
- Correct
-
- Incorrect
TOTAL: _____________
Three-Stage Command
Give the individual a plain piece of paper and say, “Take the paper in your hand, fold it in half and put it on the floor.”
Takes
-
- Correct
-
- Incorrect
Folds
-
- Correct
-
- Incorrect
Puts
-
- Correct
-
- Incorrect
TOTAL: _____________
Reading
Hold up the card that reads “Close your eyes” so the individual can see it clearly. Ask him/her to read it and do what it says. Score correctly only if the individual closes his/her eyes.
-
- Correct
-
- Incorrect
TOTAL: _____________
Writing
Give the individual a piece of paper and ask him/her to write a sentence. It is to be written spontaneously. It must contain a subject and a verb and be sensible.
-
- Correct
-
- Incorrect
TOTAL: _____________
Copying
Give the individual a piece of paper and ask him/her to copy a design of the two intersecting shapes. One point is awarded for correctly copying the shapes. All angles on both figures must be present and the figures must have one overlapping angle.
-
- Correct
-
- Incorrect
TOTAL: _____________
TOTAL SCORE:Â _____________
You can download/print a copy of the MMSE here.
Currently serving Omaha and surrounding areas, all Encompass services are directed by registered nurses or social workers with no long-term contracts. Contact us today for help with your senior care needs.
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Photo credit: istargazer via photopin cc
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