Measuring the Activity Patterns of Adults with Severe Disabilities Using the Resident Lifestyle Inventory

Abstract

Outcome measures that document activity patterns provide an empirical basis for improving the lifestyles of adults with severe disabilities. This report provides a psychometric assessment of an instrument, the Resident Lifestyle Inventory (RLI), that can be used to measure the activities performed by such persons. In a series of three assessments the congruent validity (Assessment 1), test-retest reliability (Assessment 2), and social validity (Assessment 3) of the RLI were analyzed to determine its acceptability as a measurement instrument for doc umenting activity patterns. Results from the three as sessments demonstrated that the RLI is a psychometrically acceptable measure that is used accurately by residential programs. It is perceived by support staff to be a useful strategy for improving lifestyle quality. Im plications of this report are provided for the role of outcome measures in community-based residential sup port, the individualized plan development process, and future research.DESCRIPTORS: adults, community integration, meas urement, quality of life, residential, activity patternsThe objective of a technology for supporting people with severe disabilities should be to improve not only skills but the way people live. At present, however, discussion of the importance of lifestyle measures and lifestyle quality has far surpassed our ability to docu ment the actual changes that occur in people's lives

Alzheimer dementia in Down's syndrome: the relevance of cognitive ability

“…The primary caregivers for each participant also completed a revised version of the Residential Lifestyles Inventory (RLI; Kennedy et al 1990) and a general information questionnaire. In revising the RLI, questions regarding preference for the activity were dropped and a simpler scale, inquiring into the frequency of each activity, was applied instead.…”

Living with support in a home in the community: Predictors of behavioral development and household and community activity

“…Various authors have characterized the activities undertaken by people living in residential services by rating the activities undertaken in a typical time period (e.g., week, month) on a scale or checklist [O'Neill et al, 1981;Kennedy et al, 1990;Raynes et al, 1994]. Following in the traditions of behavioral psychology [Jones et al, 1983;Risley and Cataldo, 1973] and ethology [Sackett and Landesman-Dwyer, 1977], quantification of constructive activity has also been achieved through direct observation of behavior, where frequency of occurrence and percentage of time define extent of activity and a meaningfully constructed categorization of what people do defines range of activity [e.g., Felce et al, 1986].…”

Self-Determination for Individuals with the Most Severe Disabilities: Moving beyond Chimera

“…For example, Newton et al (1993) used the Resident Life-Style Inventory (Kennedy, Horner, Newton, & Kanda, 1990) to determine whether staff members could correctly predict broad activity preferences of participants with severe disabilities. Resident Life-Style Inventory includes stimuli such as: accompanying staff on business, preparing meals, receiving or writing a letter, maintaining wardrobe, receiving or making phone calls, and going to a sit down restaurant.…”