Measuring Assistance Needs

Measuring Assistance Needs

Gerontologists, social workers and care managers often use two scales to measure a person’s need for assistance:

1) limitations in instrumental activities of daily living) (IADLs), and

2) limitations in activities of daily living (ADLs).  You, too, can use the informal assessment form below to help determine your or a loved one’s care need. The assessment will also help family caregivers identify the type and extent of care they will need to provide.

Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs)

Rarely            Sometimes                     Often

Grocery shopping                                               _____                        _____                     _____

Doing housework                                               _____                        _____                    _____

Preparing meals                                                  _____                        _____                     _____

Managing money                                                _____                        _____                    _____

Paying bills                                                           _____                        _____                    _____

Dialing the telephone                                        _____                        _____                     _____

Moving around outside the home                  _____                        _____                     _____

[If a person is able to perform the above activities on a routine basis without assistance, he or she should be able to live independently. However, the more frequently “Sometimes” and “Often” are checked, the more help the person needs.]

Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)

Rarely            Sometimes                     Often

Dressing                                                            _____                        _____                    _____

Moving around inside the home                 _____                        _____                    _____

Bathing or showering                                    _____                        _____                     _____

Maintaining personal hygiene                    _____                        _____                     _____

Taking medication correctly                         _____                        _____                     _____

Getting in/out of bed or a chair                   _____                        _____                       _____

Eating                                                                 _____                        _____                       _____

Using the restroom                                          _____                        _____                      _____

[Because the above activities describe personal care that is required on a daily basis, any care needed is of a higher level. Persons with 3 or more checkmarks in “Sometimes” or “Often” probably should not be living alone.]