The Rating of Everyday Arm-use in the Community and Home (REACH) Scale is a self-report measure for individuals with stroke that captures how the affected arm and hand is being used outside of the clinical setting. The REACH scale was developed using input from clients, caregivers and clinicians who work with individuals with stroke.
The REACH scale consists of two separate scales. One scale is for people whose dominant upper limb is affected and the other scale is for people whose non-dominant upper limb is affected. Each scale consists of 6 categories of use that range from “No Use” to “Full Use”. The inter-rater reliability and validity of the REACH scale was investigated using a group of individuals who had experienced a stroke and were living in the community. The REACH scale had high inter-rater reliability and strong relationships with other measures of use, function and impairment. On average, the REACH scale takes 5 minutes to administer.
Click here to view the original article outlining the development and evaluation of the REACH scale.