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Kohlman Evaluation of Living Skills (KELS)
Occupational therapy evaluation designed to determine a person's ability to function in basic living skills.
Indications:
1) assistance with discharge planning, especially in the setting of limited time for assessment
2) in some states, the KELS is used in court for determination of commitment & gravely disabled cases
Clinical significance:
Goals:
1) successful integration of an individual into his/her environment
2) assist medical team & family help a person to live as independently & safely as possible
Procedure:
Administration of the KELS takes 30-45 minutes.
17 living skills are tested under 5 areas*.
* Assistance that must be provided if KELS item is scored 'needs assistance'
1) self-care
a) appearance {a}
b) frequency of self-care activities (report) {a}
2) safety health
a) awareness of dangerous household situations (from photographs) {b}
b) identification of appropriate action for sickness & accidents {b}
c) knowledge of emergency numbers {b}
d) knowledge of location of medical & dental facilities {c}
3) money management
a) use of money in purchasing items {d}
b) obtain & maintain source of income {e}
c) budgeting of money for food {f}
d) budgeting of monthly income {g}
e) use of banking forms {e}
f) payment of bills {e}
4) transportation & telephone
a) mobility within community {c}
b) basic knowledge of transit system {c}
c) use of phone book & telephone {a}
5) work & leisure
a) plans for employment {N/A}
b) leisure activity involvement {a}
{a} discharged to community-living with other(s) competent to provide assistance
{b} discharged to community-living with other(s) & receiving constant supervision
{c} transportation provided by someone else#
{d} shopping done by someone else
{e} paying bills & banking done by someone else
{f} budgeting of money for food done by someone else
{g} budgeting of monthly income done by someone else
{N/A} generally, not applicable to geriatric population
Equipment:
1) reading & writing form
2) pencil
3) household situation pictures (4)
4) phone book(s)
5) deck of cards
6) bar of soap
7) 2 one dollar bills
8) 1 half dollar
9) 2 quarters
10) 1 dime
11) 4 pennies
12) budget form
13) checking account form
14) bill
15) Taxi Company Card
16) Connected telephone
17) Recorded Message Card
18) Score sheet
Notes:
- originally created in 1977 for use in a short-term inpatient psychiatry ward by Linda Kohlman Thompson, MOT, OTR, OT(C), FAOTA
Related
activities of daily living (ADL)
occupational therapy (OT)
General
clinical procedure
References
- Linda Kohlman Thompson, The Kohlman Evaluation of Living Skills,
3rd edition, The American Occupational Therapy, Inc, 1992