Development and testing the Elder Concerns about Memory Scale.

This article describes the development and testing of an instrument to measure elders' concerns about their memory. The content validity was assessed using a panel of experts. Internal consistency reliability and criterion-related and predictive validity were evaluated using three samples of community-based elders. This brief paper-and-pencil instrument should be helpful to nurse clinicians in numerous settings for assessing the magnitude of elder clients' concern and in planning appropriate interventions to address their distress.