An extended scale for activities of daily living (ADL) in a self report dichotomous format (independent or dependent) comprising 8 basic ADL items (Feeding, Moving from wheelchair to bed and return, Personal toilet, Getting on and off toilet, Bathing self, Walking on level surface, Ascend and descend stairs, and Dressing) taken from the Barthel Index and 4 instrumental ADL items (Using public transportation, Preparing meals, Shopping for daily necessities, and Managing deposits) from the TMIG Index of Competence, was tested on a sample of 217 stroke patients living home, aged from 41 to 82 years. Guttman's scalogram analysis and Mokken scale analysis revealed a unidimensional and hierarchical structure of the scale: the coefficients of reproducibility, Menzel's scalability, and Mokken's scalability were 0.97, 0.75, and 0.83, respectively. The KR-20 internal consistency reliability (0.90) proved that 12 items of the scale had a high homogeneity. The scale score significantly decreased with age while sex difference was not found. Other variables which could influence the score were motor and cognitive impairments. The criterion-related validity of the extended ADL scale was confirmed that the scores were significantly lower in users than in non users of formal health services such as day-care, respite care at nursing home, or professional home help. The results indicate that the extended ADL scale is a reliable and valid instrument in assessing functional status of disabled persons living home.

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