You may be interested in the scale below.  I have used this scale as part of court ordered assessments.

Independent Living Scales

Independent Living Scale (ILS)

The Independent Living Scale (ILS) can be used to assess an individual’s competence for several purposes.  The following information was taken from the ILS manual:  “The ILS was originally developed for use with older adults. Questions about older adults’ abilities to care for themselves often arise from their own concerns or from the concerns of family members or social service providers. The ILS can be used as part of an assessment to determine if an older adult can manage his or her property and/or personal affairs. Furthermore, the ILS provides information to aid in decision-making about the most appropriate living environment and any specific support services required. Annual or periodic evaluations with the ILS can help monitor an individual’s improvement or deterioration. In cases where questions arise in court guardianship proceedings, the ILS may be used by the professional to describe an individual’s specific strengths and weaknesses with respect to functional competence.

The ILS is comprised of five subscales: Memory/Orientation, Managing Money, Managing Home and Transportation, Health and Safety, and Social Adjustment.  The five subscales scores are added To obtained and overall score reflecting the examinee’s ability to function independently.  The following list briefly covers the area assessed by each subscale

Memory/Orientation assess the individual’s general awareness of her or his surroundings and assesses short-term memory.

Managing Money assess the individual’s ability to count money, do monetary calculations, pay bills, and take precautions with money.

Managing Home and Transportation assess the individual’s ability to use the telephone, utilize public transportation, and maintain a safe home.

Health and Safety assess the individual’s awareness of personal health status and ability to evaluate health problems, handle medical emergencies and take safety precautions.

Social Adjustment assess the individual’s mood and attitude toward social relations.

There are two factors that may be derived from some of the items on the subscales; Problem Solving and Performance/Information

Problem Solving is comprised primarily of items that require knowledge of relevant facts as well as ability in abstract reasoning and problem solving.

Performance/Information is comprised primarily of items that require general knowledge, short-term memory, and the ability to perform simple, everyday tasks.”

Description of the Nonclinical Sample

The criteria for inclusion in the nonclinical sample stipulated that adults be fluent in English.  Medical exclusions included the acute stage of a serious medical illness, a recent head injury or stroke (less than 6 months prior to testing), dementia, psychiatric diagnosis, or ongoing dependence on alcohol or other drugs.  Examinees with medical conditions could be included only if their health had stabilized.

Within the nonclinical sample, data were collected on three groups according to living status; Independent, Semi-Independent, and Dependent.  The Independent and Dependent groups were used for setting cut scores and establishing validity.  Living status was based on the level of assistance required with the activities of daily living (preparing meals, taking medications, using transportation, bathing, dressing, toileting, and attending social events), the need for supervision adult daycare or skilled nursing and the person’s current living situation.  Information for classification was provided by the examinee and was verified, if necessary, by a caregiver.  In general, the Independent examinee resided in a private home, either alone or with family, and was capable of all aspects of self-care, including meal preparation, housekeeping, and attendance at social events.  Someone classified as living independently might also have been living in a retirement community without utilizing any of its services except the social functions-living there out of convenience rather than necessity.  The semi-independent examinee was most likely in a supervised living situation, such as a retirement community or a nursing home, as a relative high-functioning resident who required assistance for some activities of daily living (e.g., housekeeping, medication reminders, meals, transportation, social activities) or needed some nursing or rehabilitation services on a part-time basis.  This groups also included persons living at home but receiving some assistance from a family member or a visiting nurse.  The Dependent examinee may have lived in a nursing home or a rehabilitation hospital or at home with full-time caregivers.  In general, he or she required full-time supervision and assistance with most activities of daily living. 

The ILS nonclinical sample included 400 older adults living independently, 100 living semi-independently, and 90 living dependently.  Each living-status group was stratified according to adults age, sex education level, race/ethnicity, and geographic reason.  The target percentage for education level, race/ethnicity, and geographic region were based on the 1993 U.S. census for adults 65 years of age and older (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1993).

Level of Interpretations of ILS

Information can be obtained from the ILS on a variety of levels, ranging from the Full Scale score to the individual item scores.  The IlS Full Scale score is a global indicator of whether the adult can live independently (high functioning), semi-independently (moderate functioning), or dependently (low functioning)  The subscale scores should then be referred to form more specific information about the adults level of functioning in a particular area.  Information at the item level identifies which aspect of a particular area of daily living is causing the adult’s difficulty.  For instance, in regard to Managing Home and Transportation, one can determine, by looking at the pattern of responses across the items, whether the individual is having difficulty maintained the home, utilizing public transportation, or using the telephone.  Item-level information is most useful in designing intervention or detailing the type of assistance required.  Furthermore, the items that require problem solving are scored in a way that allows a degree of idiosyncrasy in the response.  An individual’s response may vary depending upon whether the person lives in a rural or urban area, lives alone or with a spouse, or belongs to a particular cohort.  In some cases, the individual’s response should be investigated to determine whether it is a reasonable response.  If the individual’s idiosyncratic response is appropriate for his or her circumstances then this fact should be taken into account by person interpreting the scores and making recommendations.  For example, an individual living in a rural area w9th no public transportation or telephone service may give responses that are unique but appropriate to such an environment.  

The factor scores provide additional information to interpret the individual’s performance.  In general, the factors contrast reasoning ability (Problem Solving) with the ability to perform simple tasks (Performance/Information).  The majority of tasks that make up the Performance/Information factor can be taught (e.g., performing simple mathematical calculations or using a phone).  The Problem-Solving factor, however, concerns the individual’s ability to apply this knowledge.  With respect to Health and Safety, for example, an individual may have factual knowledge about which number to dial in case of an emergency (Performance/Information) but may not comprehend that a doctor should be called if chest pain occurs (Problem Solving).

Adults with Chronic Psychiatric Disturbance

The ILS was administered to 110 adults, ages 18 to 84 (mean =51 years SD=16), who were diagnosed with a chronic psychiatric disturbance.  Diagnoses included Major Depression (47%), Schizophrenia (23%), and other (30%-Bipolar Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Dysthymic Disorder, Personality Disorder, alcohol Dependence, and Schizoaffective Disorder).  Thirty percent of the group had a psychotic disorder, 66% had a mood disorder, 1% had an anxiety disorder and 3% had a disorder of another type.  Percentages for the lowest reported rating on the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) from the DSM-IV were 25% for 25-40, 35% for 45-55, and 40% for 60-80.  The group consisted of 55% females and 45% males, and 58% Whites, 29% African Americans, 10% Hispanics, and 3% other racial/ethnic origins.  Education-level percentages of the group as measured by years of schooling, were 11% for 9 years or less, 14% for 10-11 years, 64% for 12-15 years, 9% for 16 years or more, and 2% for unknown.  Marital-status percentages of the group were 40%, single, 22% married, 26% divorced, and 12% widowed.  In general, the sensitivity of the ILS cut scores is greater for identifying the adults who had the lowest GAF scores.  Managing Money and Social Adjustment are the most sensitive subscales across all three levels of GAF (page 82 through 83 ILS manual).

The Adaptive Behavior Assessment Scale (ABAS) has a self report measure for adults, which measures adaptive behavior via rating scales addressing 10 adaptive skill areas, which encompass practical, everyday skills required to function, meet environmental demands, care for oneself, and interact with others effectively and independently. The General Adaptive Composite (GAC) provides an overall estimate of the individual’s adaptive skills. 

An alternative to the AMPS, with less stringent requirements, but still requiring a qualified occupational therapist is the PRPP System of Assessment (Percieve, Recall, Plan, Perform).  The person (any age) can select any ADL they would normally perform and it is criterion-referenced, so they can identify their own success criteria against which mastery is evaluated.  For example, if they have an idiosyncratic routines or process for performing self-cares they do not have to change this or adhere to a universal standard in order to demonstrate mastery.  However, sometimes the criterion against which mastery is evaluated may be stipulated by another person, for example, in the case of vocational occupations an employer might identify the minimum success criteria for fulfilling their role in a given job/task.

Thanks very much for all the help and suggestions.

Independent Living Scales

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