CHAPTER 87: KOHLMAN EVALUATION OF LIVING SKILLS (KELS)—FOURTH EDITION
Description
The Kohlman Evaluation of Living Skills (KELS), 4th Edition, developed by Kohlman-Thompson (1992), is an evaluation tool used to determine an individual’s ability to function with basic life skills and combines both a structured interview and the performance of various tasks to determine those life skills (Kohlman-Thompson, 1992). The assessment comprises five domains: (1) self-care, (2) safety and health, (3) money management, (4) transportation and telephone, and (5) work and leisure, and has 17 tasks/items (Kohlman-Thompson, 1992). KELS uses two scoring categories: (0) independent or (1) assistance/unable to complete task successfully, with the exception of work and leisure where half points are also possible. Each item on the scale has its own inclusion/exclusion criteria for correct scoring. For example, the item relating to knowledge of emergency numbers would be administered through a standardized interview outlined in the manual in which the subject would be scored as independent if he or she is able give local emergency numbers or the operator’s number and would be scored as needs assistance if he or she is unable to give those numbers, or if they look in the phone book and do not find the number(s) without assistance (Kohlman-Thompson, 1992). Total scores are summarized with higher scores being more problematic. A short qualitative summary, prepared by the clinician, may also be included with results. KELS can be completed in less than 45 minutes.
TABLE 87-1
DOMAIN AND TASK ITEMS OF THE KOHLMAN EVALUATION OF LIVING SKILLS
| DOMAIN | TASK ITEMS |
| Self-care | Appearance |
| Frequency of self-care activities | |
| Safety and health | Awareness of dangerous household situations |
| Identification of appropriate action for sickness and accidents | |
| Knowledge of emergency numbers | |
| Knowledge and location of medical/dental facilities | |
| Money management | Use of money in purchasing items |
| Obtain and maintain source of income | |
| Budgeting of money for food | |
| Budgeting monthly income | |
| Use of banking forms | |
| Paying bills | |
| Transportation and telephone | Mobility within community |
| Basic knowledge of transit system | |
| Use of phone book and telephone | |
| Work and leisure | Plans for future employment |
| Leisure activity involvement |
Adapted from Kohlman-Thompson, L. (1992). The Kohlman Evaluation of Living Skills (3rd ed., pp. 14-38). Bethesda, MD: AOTA Press.
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