Assesing Your Needs

In many cases it may be obvious. Mom is forgetting to take her medications or cannot remember where they are. Dad is repeating himself or losing his balance and falling. For many, those times are the trigger for additional care, whether hired assistance in the home or considering a move to a retirement facility.

Evaluate the need requirement below, then recommendations will be provided below.

• Dressing
  • Unable, requires total assistance
  • Requires help with all items
  • Requires help with shoelaces, zippers, belt
  • Able to perform, but clothes must be arranged
  • Dresses Independently
• Bathing and Toileting
  • Unable, requires total assistance
  • Requires assistance with undressing
  • Able to perform with minimal help
  • Able to perform with supervision and occasional help
  • Baths and toilets independently
• Control(Continence) of Bladder and Bowels
  • Total lack of bowel or bladder control
  • Frequent Accidents
  • Occasional accidents requiring assistance
  • Occasional Incontinence, but properly cares for self
  • Total control of bladder and bowels
• Eating and Nutrition
  • Requires feeding
  • Eats better when fed, losing weight
  • Eats only about half of meals
  • Eats less than usual, but adequate
  • Eating well, good nutritional status
• Meal Preparation
  • Unable to prepare or obtain meals
  • Requires delivery or assistance with preparation
  • Can assist, but needs main meals prepared daily
  • Can prepare meals if food is obtained
  • Obtains groceries and prepares meals independently
• Household Chores
  • Unable to perform basic cleaning and up keeping
  • Regularly requires help with most housekeeping
  • Regularly requires help with some housekeeping
  • Requires only intermittent housekeeping
  • Performs household chores independently
• Medications
  • Unable to identify or self administer
  • Regularly requires reminders
  • Occasionally requires reminders
  • Takes medications on schedule if pre-arranged
  • Properly arranges and takes medications independently
• Walking
  • Unsteady balance, prone to falls
  • Unable to move from bed to chair without help
  • Wheelchair dependent, requires assistance
  • Uses walking aid without assistance
  • Walks Independently without assist device
• Mental Status
  • Confused and disoriented to place, time
  • Poor judgment of risk, safety, not necessarily confused
  • Requires frequent redirection
  • Usually appropriate, requires occasional redirection
  • Alert and oriented to person, place, time; Good judgment
• Mood
  • Depressed and withdrawn or frequently angry, agitated with others
  • Frequently sad, reflects on self worth
  • Apathy, flat behavior, or occasional anger
  • Generally good spirits, less joyful than usual
  • Good in spirits