1. IVth European Congress of Gerontology, Berlin, Germany, 1999
Gerontologie und Geriatrie 1999; 32.2.p.238.
B.Z. Aminoff, MD, PhD
The Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer and Pardes Katz Geriatric Hospital, Israel.
The level of suffering in a patient with end-stage dementia can be diagnosed objectively by means of a (MSSE) consisting of 10 questions
Suffering State YES – 1 NO – 0
1. Not calm
2. Screams
3. Pain
4. Decubitus ulcers
5. Malnutrition
6. Eating disorders
7. Invasive action
8. Unstable medical condition
9. Suffering according to medical opinion
10. Suffering according to family opinion
MSSE score:
The MSSE Score Interpretation:
Low level of suffering 0-3
Intermediate level of suffering 4-6
High level of suffering 7-10
A high MSSE score indicates a high level of suffering. The MSSE can be used as a diagnostic tool in the treatment and prevention of suffering in a patient with end-stage dementia. The well-being of an end-stage dementia patient is in inverse proportion to his level of suffering. The end-stage dementia patient with a low MSSE score has a good quality of life.
2. Aminoff BZ, Purits E, Noy Sh, Adunsky A.
Measuring the suffering of end-stage dementia: reliability and validity of the.
Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics 38(2): 123-130, 2004.
