Convergent validation of the Kohlman Evaluation of Living Skills as a screening tool of older adults' ability to live safely and independently in the community.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the convergent validity of the Kohlman Evaluation of Living Skills (KELS) to screen older adults' ability to live safely and independently.
DESIGN: Cross-sectional study correlating KELS with components of a Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment.
SETTING: Participants' homes. PARTICIPANTS: Community-dwelling older adults (N=200) 65 years and older including 100 persons referred by Adult Protective Services (APS) and 100 ambulatory patients matched on age, race, sex, and socioeconomic status.
INTERVENTIONS: In-home comprehensive assessment. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: KELS, Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), modified Physical Performance Test (mPPT), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Knee Extensor Break Test, Executive Cognitive Test (EXIT25), executive clock-drawing test (CLOX) 1 and 2, and an 8-foot walk test.
RESULTS: Older adults with abnormal KELS scores performed significantly worse on all tests except for the Knee Extensor Break Test. Accordingly, among the entire group, the KELS correlated with measures of executive function (EXIT25, r=.705, P<.001; CLOX 1, r=-.629, P<.001), cognitive function (MMSE, r=-.508, P<.001), affect (GDS, r=.318, P<.001), and physical function (mPPT, r=-.472, P<.001) but did not correlate with the Knee Extensor Break Test (r=-.068, P=.456). Among those referred by APS, the KELS failed to correlate with only the 8-foot walk test (r=.175, P=.153) and GDS (r=.080, P=.450).
CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated the convergent validity of KELS with a battery of cognitive, affective, executive, and functional measures often used to determine older adults' ability to live safely and independently in the community. KELS may be a valid and pragmatic alternative to screen for the capacity to live safely and independently among older adults.