Senior Housing Evaluation Tool

The evaluation tool below will help you narrow down your search by providing you with a list of service and housing types that meet the needs of someone who meets the criteria you select below. For each sub-heading, select the descriptive sentence that best matches the family member or person requiring care. Then click 'submit' to view the results.

Personal Mobility:

Independent, getting where they need to go, and able to evacuate themselves in the event of an emergency.

Able to get around with the help of an aid (walker, cane), but would require help in the event of an emergency.

Sometimes needs assistance in getting around, but typically can do so independently.

Is able to get around, but assistance is required as a result of mental confusion and/or physical disability.

Needs assistance when moving to and from beds, wheel chars, etc.

Needs assistance at all times, including activities such as moving in bed.

Mental Awareness:

Clear thinking with a strong memory, but sometimes forgetful.

Sometimes disoriented and confused, and thus needs some help getting around.

Often requires help getting around because of consistent disorientation and/or memory loss.

Requires help and supervision due to disorientation, impaired memory, poor judgment.

Interactive Behavior:

Exhibits normal social behavior and maintains control of emotions.

May require intermittent guidance or assistance with routine stress or emotions.

Requires regular guidance or assistance with routine stress or emotions.

Not capable of managing stress/emotions; may pose injurious threat to self or others and thus requires daily assistance.

Personal Housekeeping Needs:

Capable of completing all necessary housekeeping tasks (laundry, cleaning, making a bed, etc.).

Generally requires assistance with more demanding housekeeping activities.

Needs housekeeping, cleaning, and laundry done by others.

Nutrition/Dietary:

Completely independent when it comes to preparing and eating all meals.

May require some assistance in perparing meals.

Requires that all meals are prepared by others, but can eat without assistance.

Requires meal preparation by others as well as some assistance with eating.

Completely dependent upon aid in remembering, preparing, and eating meals.

Medication Administration:

Fully coherent and capable of self-administration of all medication.

Capable of self-administration, but needs some help remembering to take the medication.

Medication administration needs to be monitored on a daily basis.

Medication administration must be performed by licensed practitioners.

Dressing:

Able to dress oneself independently.

May require assistance with difficult dressing requirements (tying shoes, zipping jackets, etc.)

Requires assistance with all aspects of dressing on a daily basis.

Personal Hygiene and Bathing:

Capable of bathing and taking care of other personal hygiene activites (e.g., shaving)

Either requires reminders or assistance with daily hygiene.

Requires assistance with most daily hygiene activities.

Toilet/Washroom Needs:

Entirely independent with now incontinence issues.

May have issues with incontinence and/or colostomy/catheter, but remains self-managed.

Requires some assistance on a regular basis.

Either incontinent or in need daily assistence.

SeniorLivingSource.org