Activity need for assistance code N

Guide for use:

This metadata item contributes to the definition of the concept 'Disability' and gives an indication of the experience of disability for a person.

In the context of health, an activity is the execution of a task or action by an individual. Activity limitations are difficulties 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.

This value domain records the level of a person's need for help or supervision, in a specified domain, in their overall life. This means that the need for assistance may not be directly relevant to the health or community care service being provided.

Where a life area includes a range of examples, (e.g. domestic life includes cooking, cleaning and shopping), if a person requires assistance in any of the areas then the highest level of assistance should be recorded.

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

The presence of an activity limitation with a given domain is indicated by a non-zero response in this value domain. 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 0 is used when the person has no need for supervision or help and can undertake the activity independently.

CODE 1 is used when the person sometimes needs assistance to perform an activity.

CODE 2 is used when the person always needs assistance to undertake the activity and cannot do the activity without assistance.

CODE 3 is used when the person cannot do the activity even with assistance

CODE 8 is used when a person's need for assistance to undertake the activity is unknown or there is insufficient information to use codes 0-3.

CODE 9 is used where the need for help or supervision is due to the person's age. For example, Education for persons less than 5 years and work for persons less than 15 years.

Context:

Need for assistance with activities of daily living is collected in the ABS Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers and from 2006 will be collected in the population census. This value domain has been designed so that need for assistance data collected in a range of health and community services settings can be related to these population data. This will increase the comparability of a wide range of data sets within Australia.

Origin:

WHO 2001. ICF: International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. Geneva: WHO

AIHW 2003. ICF Australian User Guide Version 1.0. Canberra: AIHW