Abstract:
This study examined the psychometric properties of an expanded version of the Algase Wandering Scale (Version 2) (AWSV2)
in a cross-cultural sample. A cross-sectional survey design was used. Study subjects were 172 English-speaking persons
with dementia (PWD) from long-term care facilities in the USA, Canada, and Australia. Two or more facility staff rated each
subject on the AWS-V2. Demographic and cognitive data (MMSE) were also obtained. Staff provided information on their
own knowledge of the subject and of dementia. Separate factor analyses on data from two samples of raters each explained
greater than 66% of the variance in AWS-V2 scores and validated four (persistent walking, navigational deficit, eloping
behavior, and shadowing) of five factors in the original scale. Items added to create the AWS- V2 strengthened the shadowing
subscale, failed to improve the routinized walking subscale, and added a factor, attention shifting as compared to the original
AWS. Evidence for validity was found in significant correlations and ANUVAs between the AWS-V2 and most subscales
with a single item indicator of wandering and with the MMSE. Evidence of reliability was shown by internal consistency of
the AWS-V2 (0.87, 0.88) and its subscales (range 0.88 to 0.66), with Kappa for individual items (17 of 27 greater than 0.4),
and ANOVAs comparing ratings across rater groups (nurses, nurse aids, and other staff). Analyses support validity and
reliability of the AWS-V2 overall and for persistent walking, spatial disorientation, and eloping behavior subscales. The
AWS-V2 and its subscales are an appropriate way to measure wandering as conceptualized within the Need-driven
Dementia-compromised Behavior Model in studies of English-speaking subjects. Suggestions for further strengthening the
scale and for extending its use to clinical applications are described.
