Background: There is a vast array of scales available to assess all aspects of mental and physical health in older people which may be of relevance to the work of old age psychiatrists.
Aims: To summarise some of the scales that may be commonly used in clinical and research practice and to give the reader guidelines as to where further information can be obtained.
Method: The scales were selected on the basis of the authors' own clinical and research knowledge and information was gathered from a comprehensive text on assessment scales in old age psychiatry. Results The selected scales are described in brief and a table outlines the purposes for which they are most suitable.
Conclusions: Although many scales are available, the choice of the individual scale relies specifically on the question that is to be asked. The ideal scale does not exist.