Rancho Los Amigos Levels of Cognitive Functioning Scale

Revised Scale (LOCF-R)

The Rancho Los Amigos Levels of Cognitive Functioning Scale (RLA LOCF, or "Rancho") is used to semi-subjectively categorize progression of brain injury recovery.

Many excellent clinician training and family reference resources exist for this tool.

Training Materials and Family Reference Resources, directly from Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center

Family Guide from Sunnybrook (Toronto) Trauma and Critical Care

Level I: No Response Total Assistance
  • No response to external stimuli
Level II: Generalized Response Total Assistance
  • Responds inconsistently and non-purposefully to external stimuli
  • Responses are often the same regardless of the stimulus
Level III: Localized Response Total Assistance
  • Responds inconsistently and specifically to external stimuli
  • Responses are directly related to the stimulus, for example, patient withdraws or vocalizes to painful stimuli
  • Responds more to familiar people (friends and family) versus strangers
Level IV: Confused/Agitated Maximal Assistance
  • The individual is in a hyperactive state with bizarre and non-purposeful behavior
  • Demonstrates agitated behavior that originates more from internal confusion than the external environment
  • Absent short-term memory
Level V: Confused, Inappropriate Non-Agitated Maximal Assistance
  • Shows increase in consistency with following and responding to simple commands
  • Responses are non-purposeful and random to more complex commands
  • Behavior and verbalization is often inappropriate, and individual appears confused and often confabulates
  • If action or tasks is demonstrated individual can perform but does not initiate tasks on own
  • Memory is severely impaired and learning new information is difficult
  • Different from level IV in that individual does not demonstrate agitation to internal stimuli. However, they can show agitation to unpleasant external stimuli.
Level VI: Confused, Appropriate Moderate Assistance
  • Able to follow simple commands consistently
  • Able to retain learning for familiar tasks they performed pre-injury (brushing teeth, washing face) however unable to retain learning for new tasks
  • Demonstrates increased awareness of self, situation, and environment but unaware of specific impairments and safety concerns
  • Responses may be incorrect secondary to memory impairments but appropriate to the situation
Level VII: Automatic, Appropriate Minimal Assistance
  • Oriented in familiar settings
  • Able to perform daily routine automatically with minimal to absent confusion
  • Demonstrates carry over for new tasks and learning in addition to familiar tasks
  • Superficially aware of one's diagnosis but unaware of specific impairments
  • Continues to demonstrate lack of insight, decreased judgment and safety awareness
  • Beginning to show interest in social and recreational activities in structured settings
  • Requires at least minimal supervision for learning and safety purposes
Level VIII: Purposeful, Appropriate Stand By Assistance
  • Consistently oriented to person, place and time
  • Independently carries out familiar tasks in a non-distracting environment
  • Beginning to show awareness of specific impairments and how they interfere with tasks, however, requires standing by assistance to compensate
  • Able to use assistive memory devices to recall daily schedule
  • Acknowledges other's emotional states and requires only minimal assistance to respond appropriately
  • Demonstrates improvement of memory and ability to consolidate the past and future events
  • Often depressed, irritable and with low frustration threshold
Level IX: Purposeful, Appropriate Stand By Assistance on Request
  • Able to shift between different tasks and complete them independently
  • Aware of and acknowledges impairments when they interfere with tasks and able to use compensatory strategies to cope
  • Unable to independently anticipate obstacles that may arise secondary to impairment
  • With assistance able to think about consequences of actions and decisions
  • Acknowledges the emotional needs of others with stand by-assistance
  • Continues to demonstrate depression and low frustration threshold
Level X: Purposeful, Appropriate Modified Independent
  • Able to multitask in many different environments with extra time or devices to assist
  • Able to create own methods and tools for memory retention
  • Independently anticipates obstacles that may occur as a result of impairments and take corrective actions
  • Able to independently make decisions and act appropriately but may require more time or compensatory strategies
  • Demonstrate intermittent periods of depression and low frustration threshold when under stress
  • Able to appropriately interact with others in social situations