Care process
Needs assessment
A needs assessment is a structured review of what help a person needs and what support they already have. It covers daily tasks, health, safety, home setup and family resources. It helps match services to the real need, not a guess.
Why it matters for your family
Families often ask for the wrong amount of help. A needs assessment fixes that by looking at tasks across a full day and week. Include morning routine, meals, bathing, medicines, mobility, night needs and social contact. The National Institute on Aging says care managers evaluate in-home care needs. Medicare's discharge checklist asks about bathing, dressing, bathroom use, stairs, cooking, shopping and appointments. A common mistake is to focus only on tasks and forget safety, such as wandering or falls. Another is to plan only for today. Ask what may change in three months. Revisit the assessment after a health event or when care is not working.
Source: nia.nih.gov
Read more: What is Home Care? How to Benefit from These Services?
Related terms
- Care assessmentA care assessment is a review of a person's health, abilities, home and support to decide what help they need.
- Care planA care plan is a written plan that lists a person's needs, goals, tasks, schedule and who does what.
- Activities of daily living (ADLs)Activities of daily living (ADLs) are the basic self-care tasks people do each day.
- Instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs)Instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) are tasks needed to live on your own, such as managing money, taking medicines, cooking, housekeeping, shopping, and using transportation or a phone.
- Level of care assessmentA level of care assessment is an evaluation that decides whether a person needs the level of care that a nursing facility provides.
- Care advisorA care advisor is a person who helps a family understand home care options, share needs and arrange care.
