Different methodological approaches for the construction of a therapy sensitive ADL scale for the assessment of Alzheimer patients

The purpose of this paper was the presentation of the work of the international ADL project which aims to construct a therapy sensitive ADL scale for cognitively impaired elderly or demented patients. No final scale was presented, rather different ways for generating ADL items were introduced. Different methodological approaches were applied because no existing ADL or I ADL scale meets the various goals of the international ADL project. By surveying existing scales or assessment tools for measuring daily life behaviour it was recognized that no traditional method of scale construction seems appropriate. Instead, different methodological approaches were adapted in order to meet the high demands for a newly to be constructed internationally valid and therapy sensitive ADL scale for mild to moderate dementia. The scale construction is still in progress. A first scale is expected to be tested by the end of 1994. An international validation in European and American research centers (including one center in Russia) is planned.