The Pool Activity Level (PAL) Instrument for Occupational Profiling

In the draft practice guideline for dementia, the PAL instrument is recommended for activity of daily living skill training and for activity planning. This instrument will also be of interest to strategic level providers and commissioners of health and social care services as a standardised assessment and outcome measure.

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Since it was first published, the Pool Activity Level (PAL) instrument has become the framework for activity- based care systems in a variety of settings for clients with dementia. Following two years of feedback from practitioners and carers, the author has refined the instrument, expanding its use to form occupational profiles for people who have had strokes and those with learning disabilities as well as those with dementia.

This substantially revised edition includes photocopiable activity checklists and plans which take into account users' life histories and help to match abilities with activities, as well as new features such as an outcome sheet and reformatted checklists.

Guiding the reader through a series of clear, practical steps and using case studies to enable them to understand, plan and implement activities, this is an essential resource for any practitioner or carer wanting to provide fulfilling occupation for clients with cognitive impairments.

The instrument is now standardised and will also be of interest to strategic level providers and commissioners of health and social care services as a standardised assessment and outcome measure.

In the draft practice guideline for dementia, The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE, 2006), the PAL instrument is recommended for activity of daily living skill training and for activity planning.