Self-Report and Proxy Reporting

Picture-based scales may help people living with dementia participate when reading and comprehension are difficult. Validation studies may underrepresent people with more advanced dementia because participation can be limited by cognition and communication difficulties. Many identified scales use self-report even though cognitive and communication impairments may limit completion by people living with dementia. Differences between patient self-reports and proxy reports should be considered when interpreting data. Proxies often answer on behalf of people living with dementia when self-report is limited.