Which statement best describes the CHESS scale’s purpose?

Which statement best describes the CHESS scale’s purpose?

• A. Global cognitive status.
• B. Health instability and risk of adverse outcomes.
• C. Aggressive behavior.
• D. Sleep quality

Answer: (B)

The CHESS scale is designed to capture health instability and the risk of adverse outcomes. It combines information about changes in health, end-stage disease indicators, and related signs and symptoms into a single score. A higher CHESS score signals greater instability and a higher likelihood of negative events such as mortality, deterioration, or hospitalization, which helps clinicians identify residents who may need closer monitoring, proactive care planning, or goals-of-care discussions. It isn’t focused on global cognitive status, aggressive behavior, or sleep quality—those are assessed by other measures.

The CHESS scale is designed to capture health instability and the risk of adverse outcomes. It combines information about changes in health, end-stage disease indicators, and related signs and symptoms into a single score. A higher CHESS score signals greater instability and a higher likelihood of negative events such as mortality, deterioration, or hospitalization, which helps clinicians identify residents who may need closer monitoring, proactive care planning, or goals-of-care discussions. It isn’t focused on global cognitive status, aggressive behavior, or sleep quality—those are assessed by other measures.