The PSMS is designed as a disability measure for which population?

• A. Athletes with injuries
• B. Hospitalized adults with acute illness
• C. Elderly people living in the community
• D. Children with developmental delays

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is basic self-care ability in aging adults. The Physical Self-Maintenance Scale is used to gauge how independently an older person can handle essential daily tasks needed to live at home, such as basic self-care and mobility. Because it focuses on chronic, age-related functional status in people living in the community, it best applies to elderly individuals who are living at home or in familiar community settings. It isn’t designed for athletes with injuries who need rehabilitation for a specific incident, nor for hospitalized adults with acute illness where the current medical status is the priority, and it isn’t aimed at children with developmental delays whose needs differ in a pediatric context.