Development of an evaluation grid for the degree of application of the Montessori method adapted to elderly people in nursing homes

Despite the growing deployment of the Montessori method in nursing homes, there is no instrument to measure its implementation fidelity, limiting the interpretation of results. Our aims are to i) develop an evaluation grid for the Montessori method in nursing homes; ii) explore its sensitivity to practice heterogeneity among institutions pre-training; and iii) study its sensitivity to change after the training. Based on literature and expert opinions, we created an evaluation grid. This grid was completed by 333 professionals before training in 29 nursing homes. Of these, 125 completed it again post-deployment. Before training, the degree of application of the method's principles varied. After training, effects were noted on various aspects targeted by the method. The developed grid is a valid tool for evaluating the fidelity of Montessori method implementation in nursing homes.