Functional Capacity Card Sort (FCCS)

The Functional Capacity Card Sort (FCCS) asks a family caregiver to sort cards describing everyday activities according to how much help they believe the person with dementia needs. It captures the caregiver's view, meaning what they think the person can still do, rather than measuring what the person can actually do.

That appraisal is then compared with an occupational therapy assessment of real performance. In the validation study, caregiver estimates matched the clinical assessment only 17 percent of the time; 61 percent overestimated what the person could do, and 22 percent underestimated. Overestimating can leave someone alone in a task they can no longer manage safely. Underestimating strips away ability the person still has. The FCCS turns that gap into a concrete starting point for caregiver education.

• Psychometric properties of the Functional Capacity Card Sort for caregivers of people with dementia

Licensing Notes: Jefferson Elder Care lists the Functional Capacity Card Sort as a free product. It is obtained by submitting a request form through the Jefferson Elder Care products page; no fee or license agreement is posted.