Person—need for assistance with activities in a life area, disability flag homelessness code N

Identifying and definitional attributes

• Homelessness, Standard 10/08/2018

Value domain attributes

Representational attributes

Collection and usage attributes

Where a life area includes a range of examples, (for example, domestic life includes cooking, cleaning and shopping), if a person requires assistance in more than one of these areas, record the highest level of assistance needed.

Where need for assistance varies markedly over time (for example, episodic psychiatric conditions), record the average level of assistance needed.

Animals used for personal mobility (for example, guide dogs and companion animals) are considered to be aids and/or equipment. Also included in this category are prosthetic and orthotic devices, wheelchairs, transfer devices, etc.

Activity is limited when an individual, in the context of a health condition, either has need for assistance in performing an activity in an expected manner, or cannot perform the activity at all.

CODE 1   Always/sometimes need help and/or supervision

This code is used when the person always needs or sometimes needs help or supervision in this life area.

CODE 2    Have difficulty, but don't need help/supervision

This code is used when the person has difficulty but does not need help or supervision in this life area.

CODE 3    Don't have difficulty, but use aids/equipment

This code is used when the person does not have difficulty in this life area, but uses aids and/or equipment.

CODE 4    Have no difficulty

This code is used when the person has no difficulty in this life area and does not need help or supervision and does not use aids or equipment.

Source and reference attributes

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

Data element attributes

Collection and usage attributes

In the context of health, an activity is the execution of a task or action by an individual. An activity limitation is a difficulty an individual may have in executing an activity. Activity limitation varies with the environment, and is assessed in relation to a particular environment; the absence or presence of assistance, including aids and equipment, is an aspect of the environment.

The level of difficulty includes the amount of assistance a person may currently receive (such as from a carer, relative etc.) to perform tasks in each life area, not just unmet needs.

It is expected that this data element will be used to collect information from the individual being assessed, or a proxy/carer or service worker answering on their behalf.

This data element should be used in conjunction with the Person ‒ activity and participation life area, disability flag homelessness code N data element to determine the level of difficulty or need for assistance in activity and participation life areas.

The responses are phrased in response to the question 'For each of the following activities, do you need help/supervision, have difficulty, or use aids/equipment?

Source and reference attributes

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

Relational attributes