Embedded Files
Author(s)
Author(s)
Linda Kohlman Thomason, MOT, OTR, OT(C), CAPS, FAOTA
Regi Robnett, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA
Year of Publication/Publisher
Year of Publication/Publisher
American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc. 2016
Type of Assessment
Type of Assessment
Standardized, non-standardized scoring, criterion based
Cost & How to Access
Cost & How to Access
Book costs $161.95 for non-members and $121 for AOTA members on AOTA store.
Population
Population
Adolescents, adults, elderly
cognitive disabilities, dementia, acquired brain injury, mental health
Older adults in nursing facilities, inpatient units, and outpatient settings;
Clients in acute-care units in hospitals;
People with acquired brain injury; and
Adolescents in living skill training programs
Appropriate Settings
Appropriate Settings
SNFs, Inpatient, Outpatient, acute-care units, living skills training programs, community settings
Purpose of Assessment & Function(s)/Area(s) Assessed
Purpose of Assessment & Function(s)/Area(s) Assessed
Understanding how a person interacts with their environment when they have an inability to perform daily skills assesses their intrinsic need to interact with the environment, competency, and satisfaction, determining the level of independence in performing basic living skills and providing recommendations for specific living situations.
Administration
Administration
Individually administered, patient interview and observation. Non-standardized scoring criterion-based, OT uses clinical judgement on analyzing the pt’s unique living condition. 45 min. Understand a persons strengths to provide the least restrictive environment
User Qualifications
User Qualifications
Occupational therapists and any health professional
Materials Required
Materials Required
KELS Flash Drive (includes electronic cards for banking item, reading and writing form, price tags, nickel bank information card, sample of a recorded message card, check form, money order form, utility bill, kels score form) reading and writing form, pen or pencil, household situation picture, cell phone, tablet, notebook, laptop, personal computer. Need to bring a telephone book preferably the clients’ local telephone book
Scoring Procedure
Scoring Procedure
criterion-based
scored through observation of performance or patient-reported interview questions
0 points = Independent
1 point = Needs Assistance
Total score can range from 0 to 17 points
Work and Leisure items = ½ point for each “needs assistance
Total score between 6 to 17 needs assistance when living in the community
Total score of 5.5 or less - client can live independently
Psychometrics/Standardization (norms, reliability/ studies)
Psychometrics/Standardization (norms, reliability/ studies)
Brain Injury
Normative Data: A study involving 31 individuals with acquired brain injuries (including traumatic brain injury, stroke, brain tumor, anoxic brain injury, and concurrent TBI and SCI) reported a mean KELS score of 3.5.
2. Older Adults and Geriatric Care
Normative Data: Research comparing different groups of older adults found:
Community group: mean KELS score of 1.87
Sheltered housing group: mean score of 4.37
Day care group: mean score of 10.28
3. Mental Health
Test-Retest Reliability: Among outpatient schizophrenic patients, the KELS demonstrated excellent test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.997, p < 0.001).
Interrater Reliability: The KELS showed excellent interrater reliability among outpatient schizophrenic patients (ICC = 0.966).
The KELS demonstrates strong validity and reliability across various populations, making it a valuable tool for assessing essential living skills.
Strengths
Strengths
Comprehensive and looks into many life skills using household items. Able to be used with many settings, ages, and populations with cognitive deficits. Great tool for assessing levels of independence for living skills, self-care, and safety awareness.
Weaknesses
Weaknesses
Dated - needs more life skills relevant to frequently used items as a phone book is no longer a commonly used household item. May benefit from more current technology such as navigating a SmartPhone to make a call or add a contact.
References
References
Kohlman Thomason, L., & Robnett, R. (2016). Kohlman Evaluation of Living Skills (4th ed.). American Occupational Therapy Association. https://myaota.aota.org/shop_aota/product/900374
Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. (2019, April 26). Kohlman Evaluation of Living Skills (KELS). Retrieved March 22, 2025, from https://www.sralab.org/rehabilitation-measures/kohlman-evaluation-living-skills
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