Title of Assessment
Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living Scale
Author(s)
Sidney Katz, Amasa B. Ford, Rosland W. Moskowitz, Beverly. A. Jackson, & Marjorie W. Jaffe
Year of Publication/Publisher
1970 (originally 1963)
Identify Type of Assessment
observation-based
standardized
questionnaire
Cost (identify source) & How to Access Assessment (include link if possible)
Population (who it is appropriate for [age, diagnosis, etc.])
elderly and chronically ill
older adults and the geriatric population
Appropriate Settings (potential practice settings appropriate to administer assessment in)
inpatient, skilled nursing facility, long-term acute care, and home health
Purpose of Assessment & Function(s)/Area(s) Assessed
Performance in ADLS such as bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring, continence, and feeding. This index is used to provide a quick and easy ADL assessment. This indicates the level of independence or dependence an individual has and what assistance is needed.
Administration (time to administer, group/individual, if there are subtests, can they be completed individually, are there specific instructions to ensure standardization, etc.)
time varies with tasks
self-report: 5min
direct observation: 15min
User Qualifications
no training or qualifications required
Materials Required
evaluation form
pencil
additional ADL materials as needed
Scoring Procedure (how is assessment scored and what does score indicate)
6 areas of performance are shown by the client and questioned (bathing, dressing, using the toilet, continence, transferring, and eating). Then the examiner can rate the client as independent, assisted, or dependent. These are rated on an A (independent) to G (dependent) OR 6 (independent) to 0 (dependent).
Psychometrics/Standardization (norms, reliability/validity studies)
good interrater reliability
face, construct, and concurrent validity were reported with discrimination between the amount of care required and the sequence of improvements.
Strengths & Weaknesses of Assessment
strengths
free
easy to administer and interpret
looks at ADLS which are the most important aspect of living independently
weaknesses
how much assistance given can be interpreted differently by every examiner
not much validity
References
Asher, I. E. (2014). Asher’s occupational therapy assessment tools: An annotated index. American Occupational Therapy Association.
Katz. S., Ford, A. B., Moskowitz, R. W., Jackson, B. a., & Jaffe, M. W. (1963). The index of ADL: A standardized measure of biological and psychosocial function. JAMA, 185, 914-919.