Hierarchic Dementia Scale-Revised (HDS-R) Kit

The Hierarchic Dementia Scale-Revised (HDS-R) is a comprehensive assessment of cognitive abilities for people with dementia. It measures 20 different cognitive functions rating each one on a hierarchy. It can be used across the entire course of the disease from diagnosis through to end-of-life care.

The original Hierarchic Dementia Scale was created by Drs Dolly Dastoor and Martin Cole in the late 1970’s. The WA Dementia Training Study Centre (DTSC) revised the assessment in 2015 to make it more relevant to current day care for people with dementia.

There are no limitations on who can use the HDS-R and full instructions for its administration are included in the instruction manual.

The kit contains:

• All the items required for completing an assessment – construction boards and tiles, flashcards, pictures, memory items, praxis items, counters etc.
• HDS-R instruction manual
• Possibility Oriented Approach manual
• 20 score sheets (further score sheets can be printed via a PDF file from this website or ordered from the suppliers).

A particular strength of the HDS-R is its use in creating person-centred care plans based on an individual’s particular strengths and limitations through the use of the Possibility Oriented Approach.

HDS-R kits are available from HammondCare. Visit their website or call HammondCare on (02) 8280 8408.

The Dementia Training Study Centre  runs regular training workshops on the use of the assessment. Contact WA DTSC by email l.durack@curtin.edu.au for further details.