The Activities of Daily Living (ADL) Self-Care Scale by Gulick (1987) is designed to measure the physical functionality of the elderly and the persons with disabilities. This Self-Care Scale may be applied as an instrument to measure activities of daily living among multiple sclerosis (MS) persons too (Gulick, 1987).
The ADL Self-Care Scale can be completed by persons with MS or by their relatives, friends, spouses, partners or other trusted people. That is why the instructions for the participants are designed in a concise but very clear way, being foregrounded as “directions” to focus the participantʼs attention to them. The abbreviation “ADL” is explained with the help of the examples (walking, dressing). A visual emphasis is made on the words “YOU” and “TYPICAL day” in order to underpin the crucial aspects. Fifteen questions enumerate daily activities under consideration, using simple, understandable and predicative sentences, where emphasis is also put on the verbs of action. Moreover, the questions are concise and precise, which is appropriate for this specific group of the participants, their possible level of education and ability to perceive and analyze the received information. The answers should be presented in the form of rating from 0 to 5, which are accompanied by verbal evaluation of the daily activities from “never’ to “always”. This format, together with the font type and size create perfect conditions for answering the questions. A good overall look and comparatively short length add also to the ease of completing, making it uncomplicated and convenient. Furthermore, the questions cover all spheres of daily activities, unifying them implicitly into the blocks so that the participant can logically follow them and present various characteristics of the completed activities. Starting with the simplest issues, the questionnaire ends up, analyzing the participantʼs satisfaction with some of the activities that involve emotional sphere of life. In addition, the usage of “thank you” in the instructions shows respect and creates a positive atmosphere for the participants. Therefore, the ADL Self-Care Test can efficiently address the issues it is designed for.
References
Gulick, E.E. (1987). Parsimony and model confirmation of the ADL Self-Care Scale for Multiple Sclerosis Persons. Nursing Research, 36 (5): 278-283.
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