Rehab Terms and Definitions
AJ Sturdivant
Common Terms and Definitions
- ADL: bathing, toileting, dressing, eating, mobility (ambulating or assistive device), transferring. Tasks that people perform every day.
- IADL (instrumental ADL’s): household chores, finances, meal prepping, shopping, medication management, phone use, transportation. These are more complex tasks.
Levels of assistance/functional mobility
Assist |
Pt Contribution |
Caregiver |
|---|---|---|
| Dependent/total | 0% of task | 100% |
| Maximum | ~25% | ~75% |
| Moderate | ~50% | ~50% |
| Minimal | ~75% | ~25% |
| Contact guard | ~100%; needs stabilization/minor assistance | -- |
| Supervision/stand by | 100%; needs cueing or safety monitoring | -- |
| Modified-Independent | 100%; uses assistive device to aid (e.g. shoe horn, brace, walker) or requires extra time | -- |
| Independent | 100% of task without any equipment, assistance, or extra time | -- |
Types of transfer
- Hoyer: Pt is dependent on transfer and requires Hoyer lift for movement place to place
- Slide board: Good for pts with LE weakness or cannot stand to slide into position (SCI paraplegic patients are a good example)
- Squat-pivot: Pt does not fully stand but maintains a squat position with caregiver blocking pt’s knees and supporting at the waist or under arms to transfer. Transfer ~90°
- Stand-step: Pt stands from seated position then steps laterally to the next location where they will sit, but does not pivot
- Stand-pivot: Pt is assisted in standing with gait belt then caregiver and pt simultaneously pivot on an axis to chair or bed. Transfer ~90°
Manual muscle testing
(according to ISNCSCI Exam, see “Spinal Cord Injury”)
- Does not use +/- terminology to try to maintain consistency amongst evaluators. Scoring 2 and above requires full range of motion (ROM).
- 0: no visible or palpable muscle firing; paralysis
- 1: at least trace muscle firing on palpation or visualization, but not full ROM
- 2: full ROM of muscle group tested with gravity eliminated
- 3: full ROM of muscle group tested against gravity, but unable to provide resistance to examiner
- 4: full ROM of muscle group tested against gravity and able to provide moderate resistance
- 5: full ROM of muscle group tested against gravity and able to fully resist examiner without breaking strength