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Neurocognitive disorders involves progressive decline in cognition, function, behavior and needs. Recent developments have identified the need to characterize social cognition in individuals with neurocognitive impairments to support uncertainty in clinical decision making, treatment plans and monitoring individual change. Routine social cognition assessments have thus been more recently used and adopted in persons with dementia or mild cognitive impairment. This work serves to summarize current assessments and provide a discourse on the practicality of available social cognition tools, its implication in clinical practice and key future directions. We highlight advantages in establishing validated, multicomponent measures of social cognition for people with neurocognitive disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is an editorial that provides an overview of four original papers within the "Psychometrics in Aging Psychiatry" series. The papers discuss the advancements and challenges in measuring and assessing psychiatric symptoms and cognitive functions in older adults. The use of psychometric tools in clinical practice is emphasized, as well as the need for continuous innovation in assessment methodologies. The article highlights the importance of psychometrics in enhancing the assessment and treatment of psychiatric conditions in older adults and calls for tailored measurement tools to accurately capture the complex symptoms experienced by this population. [Extracted from the article]

Objective: To investigate the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on the quality of life and social networks of older adults receiving community care services. Methods: Quality of life and social network questionnaires were completed by older adults (n = 21) receiving home care services at three time points (2018, 2019, and during the first Australian COVID‐19 lockdown in 2020). Additional questions about technology use were included in 2020. Results: Older adults' quality of life significantly decreased during the pandemic compared to the prior year. During the pandemic, over 80% used technology to maintain contact with family and friends, and social networks did not change. Conclusion: Government messages and support initiatives directed towards technology adoption among older adults receiving home care may assist with maintaining social connection during COVID‐19. Our findings add to the relatively limited understanding of the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on the socio‐emotional well‐being of older people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]