PAL Cards

PAL Cards provide a quick and easy tool to capture and share information about a community member’s background and preferences for daily life. View this tip sheet to learn how to create PAL Cards for people served by your organization.

The PELI PAL Card Interview asks about a person’s preferences for daily activities and leisure. The interview comes with instructions and covers 33 different topics.

This version of the PELI PAL Card Interview contains the eight MDS activity and leisure items with additional follow-up questions. It should be noted that all previous PAL Card work has been done with the full 33-item PELI PAL Card Interview and it may be difficult to create a PAL Card from the limited information this version provides.

Use this simple template, an editable Microsoft Word document, to create individualized PAL Cards.

Download and print the icon key to assist you in utilizing the Communication Preferences feature of the PAL Card.

View of a variety of PAL Card examples.

This short video shows the steps to create a PELI PAL Card. Using the PAL Card is a great way to share resident preference information among staff, and foster a greater sense of community for those living and working in your organization.

This brief tip sheet provides guidance on obtaining the additional background information needed to complete the PAL Card bio section. Download and print this tip sheet to complete while doing the PAL interview with residents.

We have found that the PAL Cards are most successful when all care team members are informed of their presence and how they are to be used. This script will help you communicate the presence and use of PAL Cards in your community.

This sample letter can be sent to family members to let them know you’re implementing PAL Cards in your community, what the purpose is, and how they can help.

The sample policy we are sharing with you was originally developed by a PAL Card QIP participant and then expanded on by our CTRS consultant. A written policy can be a useful reference if surveyors ask about the PAL Card intervention during their visit. If you have additional questions about revising the policy to fit your community’s needs, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team.

The PAL Card Project was an Ohio Department of Aging approved Quality Improvement Project (QIP) that offered training and support to Ohio nursing home providers seeking to enhance person-centered care by implementing PAL Cards in their community. View the infographic to learn more about the project’s impact.