The file attached to this record is the Publisher's final version.An operational ability assessment system for older adults is of great help to
address health and social challenges for ageing. In this paper, the main problems
in currently available ADL and ability evaluation systems have been analyzed. The
basic principles to build an index system for disability elders evaluation have been
put forwarded. Then，an improved Barthel index system for ADL evaluation and a
new older adults ability evaluation system consisted of 4 first-level indexes and 14
secondary indexes based on experts’ opinion and the ability assessment system for
older adults by Ministry of Civil Affairs of China have been built. The grey
clustering model based on end-point mixed triangular possibility function has been
introduced. And three living examples of adults’ disability evaluation have been
conducted. It is confirmed clearly that the three older adults belong to different
categories of "severe disability", "mild disability", and "ability passable"
respectively. The research results can be used as reference for government to
formulate the elderly-care policies, to run and allocate the elderly-care resources,
as well as reference for various nursing or elderly-care institutions
