Hierarchic Dementia Scale-Revised (HDS-R)

A recording of a webinar presentation by Dr Dolly Dastoor, Canadian HDS developer, Clinical Psychologist and Terrie Simpson, WA Dementia Training Study Centre Project Officer, who will discuss development of the original HDS and the current updated kit and manual.

The Hierarchic Dementia Scale (HDS) is a reliable, validated assessment tool that assesses twenty different cognitive dimensions.

• It has been used in Australia for many years to classify the remaining abilities of a person with dementia, and has retained its popularity due to it having numerous advantages over other dementia assessments.
• It highlights remaining abilities rather than deficits, is time-efficient, can be used across the entire course of the disease, and can be used to create highly individualised care-plans.

However, the HDS was dated in its terminology and appearance which limited its utility and impact in current Australian dementia care practice.

The WA Dementia Training Study Centre (WA DTSC) has collaborated with the original developer of the HDS, Dr Dolly Dastoor, to contemporise all components of the HDS kit, including the user manual, training video, test items and care-planning guide.

This was undertaken through consultation with clinicians who had substantial experience in using the original HDS. These experts informed the modification of the tool to suit the modern Australian population, without compromising the reliability and validity of the original assessment.

In addition, a mobile device app is being created to streamline the administration, reporting and interpretation of the assessment results thus enabling time-efficient, person-centred care planning based on the mindset of Possibility Oriented Care which aims to engage abilities whilst supporting limitations.

View the video presentation

Download the presentation (PowerPoint as pdf – 1852 Kb)

A guide to interpreting and using the results from the Hierarchic Dementia Scale-Revised (HDS-R) is available from our  Online Resources section.