Levels of Care

Occasional assistance

Answering “yes” to most of the following questions, would indicate that the care and services needed could usually be provided in your home.

• Are you able to bathe, dress, and groom yourself?
• Are you able to eat, take medication, walk, and communicate without assistance of others?
• Can you prepare meals and do your housekeeping without assistance?
• In case of an emergency, would you need assistance?

Minimal assistance

Answering “yes” to these questions, would indicate that the services you would need could generally be provided in your home. Homemaker services, personal assistance, or home-delivered meals may be all that’s needed to remain in your home.

• Can you walk without assistance and without falling?
• Do you require occasional verbal reminders about bathing, dressing, grooming, taking medications, or keeping doctors' appointments?
• Do you need assistance with meal preparation and housekeeping?
• Do you have some trouble remembering things?
• In case of an emergency, would you need assistance?

Significant assistance

Answering “yes” to most of these questions would indicate that you could need community-based services. These services could also be provided in your home by family, friends, or personal care attendants. There are also residential-care centers where these type of services are generally available.

• Do you need regular reminders to get dressed, groom yourself, eat, and take medications, etc.?
• Do you occasionally experience incontinence?
• Do you need assistance setting up your bath?
• Do you find assistance with meal preparation and housekeeping helpful?
• Do you need reminders to participate in social activities?
• Do you have occasional problems remembering things and are you sometimes confused?
• In case of an emergency, would you need assistance?

Maximum assistance

Answering “yes” to most of the following questions, would indicate that you could need the type of constant care and monitoring generally provided in residential-care facilities. You could arrange to have these services provided in your home.

• Do you need help to move from your bed to a wheelchair?
• Do you need two people or a mechanical lift to assist you?
• Do you require assistance to bathe, dress, groom, and take medications?
• Do you need reminders and/or assistance to eat?
• Do you need encouragement to participate in social activities or a one-on-one visit?
• Do you need an escort to participate in social activities or a one-on-one visit?
• Do you require incontinence supplies and assistance using them?
• Do you require 24-hour nursing assistance or professional services, such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, or speech therapy?
• In case of an emergency, would you need assistance?