NEW BOOK!
How to Begin Using the Allen’s Cognitive Levels

This book is written for the benefit of all healthcare clinicians no matter what stage of clinical practice they have reached, including entry level practitioners/students. It covers a broad range of information in a concise manner. The experienced clinician will find this book a valuable training resource.

When working with people with deficits in functional cognition it is crucial to have an appreciation of the underlying cognitive processes, which determine how people can do daily life activities. Following assessment and clinical observation of how a client/patient/resident does daily activities, contextual factors can be gathered and blended to form a unique word picture and contribute to a comprehensive report. Recommendations for environmental changes can then be made and suitable programs developed. The World Health Organization ‘International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health’ and the abbreviated ‘ICF’ (WHO 2001) provide a framework allowing the blending and application of all components in a practical manner to produce positive outcomes. The use of an adapted ICF framework for developing a care plan gives care providers a wealth of knowledge, as to what type of and how much assistance is required for each person on a daily basis.

By using the information from this clinical book in conjunction with other related publications, healthcare clinicians will eventually accumulate sufficient know how to be able to apply the model to an array of different workplace settings.

Chapter 1: Develop a working knowledge of the Allen's Cognitive Levels

The way the brain works as a global unit and the effects of deficits in functional cognition have on body functions are explained within the different segments. The history of the cognitive levels and modes of performance are explained and the theory is compared with traditional forms of cognitive assessments. Explanations are provided about how to identify people's best ability to function; what memories are important to allow people to use their well-learned skills; sense of self; bodily behavior, including difficult behavior; reduced processing speed; fluctuations in abilities; and the impact functional cognition has on anything people do.

Chapter 2: Using the cognitive levels

This chapter describes how healthcare clinicians can begin using the cognitive levels by reading, observing and doing activities with people who have deficits in functional cognition. Segment 2-2 details the sort of information required to structure the environment allowing people with deficits in functional cognition to function to their best ability. Explanation is given about recurring patterns of behavior and how those patterns can be observed as people go about their everyday life.

Chapter 3: Applying a culture of blended care

In this chapter functional cognition is incorporated with contextual factors (environmental and personal) which provide a support milieu for people to live meaningful lives while being assisted to use their best ability to function. To be able to do this in practice it is important to use a unified and standard language and a framework. The World Health Organization ‘International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health’ and the abbreviated ‘ICF’ (WHO 2001) provides both.

Appendix One has a very comprehensive and detailed, easy-to-read and assimilated descriptions of each of the Allen's level.modes. There are 79 pages in this appendix with each level preceded by a color coded page including a suggested interim format for reports on 25 levels. Each report is exceptionally comprehensive.

Appendix Two is a cooking activity with simple, easy to follow instructions, allowing participation in a useful, meaningful activity, which is eminently suitable for people who have a deficit in functional cognition between level.mode 3.0 and 4.8.

Appendix Three is a Remembering Difficulties Data Gathering Instrument which is in separated into three parts; one part for each of sources of information.

The appendices are followed by a glossary, a full list of references and an index.

SKU: ACL-8    PRICE:  $79.00

ALLEN COGNITIVE LEVELS: Meeting the Challenges of Client Focused Services, 2nd Edition

This is an easy guide for use when scanning information concerning each Allen Cognitive Level.Mode of Function. It provides information on the primary concepts and terminology, which intermesh the Allen Cognitive Levels with the Dynamic Complex Theory, giving a broader perspective and interaction between occupational and physical therapists and the ever-changing experiences of their clients.

The inclusion in the guide of comparison scales, with two page devoted to describing each of the levels.modes therein, allows users to quickly obtain the information they require. The information on each cognitive level.mode has been colour coded, with a total of six colours, each colour representing a level.mode. Michele Stanley and Debbie Olin, Continuum of Care Consultants, developed the colour coding system to simplify the cognitive levels for personal care staff. For consistency, Claudia Allen (2000) requested that anyone using the ACL as a basis for programming use the same colour coding system.

The guide is a particularly useful tool to use in hospitals, residential care facilities and other health care environments, and when documenting information in official charts. It allows health care professionals to make client focused decisions that provide the "Just Right Challenge" in the "Least Restrictive Environment."

SKU: ACL-1    PRICE:  $55.00

A COGNITIVE LINK: Managing Problematic Bodily Behavior

This publication has been written for health care professionals and caregivers who need to fully understand how bodily behavior can be cognitively restricted by brain pathology and what needs to be done to allow people to function to the best of their ability. There is a fine balance between doing too much and only assisting when an action, or step, is beyond the cognitive ability of a person trying to complete a task.

The book is organized into five chapters with the fifth chapter divided into two parts. The first part explains how to use the individual forms representing each of the Allen Cognitive Level.modes. The second part of the fifth chapter consists of the "Measurement of Bodily Behavior – Intervention Forms: 25 Allen Cognitive Level.modes." To gain a greater understanding of the Allen Cognitive Levels, it is advisable to read this book in conjunction with the publication, "Allen Cognitive Levels: Meeting the Challenges of Client Focused Services." Both books have been written for health care professionals working in the tertiary, primary and community care sectors.

SKU: ACL-2    PRICE:  $55.00

EMPOWERING CAREGIVERS: Relevant Lifestyle Profiles, 2nd Edition

This clinical book focuses on 'Functional Cognition' and the development of the cognitive levels, which have been at the core of the working life of Claudia Kay Allen. This book is comprised of 98 pages and has a CD with three data gathering forms and three sets of five forms to be used for scoring for use by healthcare clinicians. The data gathering tool ‘Advanced Lifestyle Directive’ is intended to gather personal factors that contribute to the formation of the 'word story.' The other two data gathering tools, ‘Brief Daily Life Activities Pre-Guide Checklist’ and the more substantial 'Daily Life Activities Guide,' are designed to allow primary caregivers to play a role in providing information gathered from watching, noting and/or asking the person with cognitive disability what they are attempting to do. The healthcare clinicians report forms including the Brief Daily Life Activity (DLA) Pre-Guide and the five individual Daily Life Activities Guide - Caregiver Generated Relevant Profiles have been developed to slot into personal files of people with deficits in functional cognition.

Throughout this book the endeavor has been to walk clinicians and caregivers through the processes for using the data gathering instruments which, in turn, will benefit their understanding of functional cognition in everyday practice. In all instances the data gathering proformae are designed to save precious time and to assist primary caregivers unable to access healthcare services because of the need to travel long distances, the vastness of the country they live in and/or the scarcity of therapists available to service the area in which they live in their country of origin. Further more the information in this book will allow healthcare clinicians who are hard pressed for time, to assist people living in isolated regions and provide primary caregivers with a sense of self efficacy due to the invaluable observations they can make as they go about their caregiving roles.

SKU: ACL-3 (with CD)    PRICE:  $79.00
SKU: ACL-CD    STAND-ALONE CD      PRICE:  $15.00

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To gain a greater understanding of Functional Cognition: Allen's Cognitive Levels, it is advisable to purchase all three clinical books:

Allen Cognitive Levels: Meeting the Challenges of Client Focused Services 2nd Edition (2006) which gives a wealth of information on each of the cognitive level.modes including what a person 'can do' and on a person’s ability to drive a motor vehicle.

A Cognitive Link: Managing Problematic Bodily Behavior (2006) explains how the brain works as a total unit, the research on habits and how the cognitive levels can predict types of behavior and how these behaviors should be managed.

Empowering Caregivers: Relevant Lifestyle Profiles, 2nd Edition (2007) explains the importance and provides comprehensive data gathering forms which include seeking input from primary caregivers and family members. The comprehensive Advanced Lifestyle Directive has been designed to prevent "Story Fatigue," which many people with mental disorders experience. The CD of data gathering forms is a time saver for clinicians.

SKU #	Book Titles	Combo Pricing
ACL-4	Allen Cognitive Levels and A Cognitive Link	$99.00n/
ACL-5	Allen Cognitive Levels and Empowering Caregivers	$121.00n/
ACL-6	A Cognitive Link and Empowering Caregivers	$121.00n/
ACL-7	Allen Cognitive Levels, A Cognitive Link and Empowering Caregivers	$170.00n/