ADLs are the small number of basic self-care tasks — bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring, and eating — that MDHHS uses to measure whether someone needs enough hands-on help to qualify for Home Help. Needing genuine physical assistance with two or more of these is usually what separates an approved application from a denied one.
The five core ADLs MDHHS evaluates
- Bathing — getting safely in and out of the tub or shower, and washing
- Dressing — putting on and taking off clothing, managing buttons and zippers
- Toileting — getting to and from the bathroom, transferring on and off the toilet, and continence care
- Transferring — moving safely between a bed, chair, and wheelchair
- Eating — physically getting food from plate to mouth (meal preparation itself is a separate category, covered below)
"Needs help" vs. "needs supervision"
MDHHS weighs actual hands-on physical assistance more heavily than verbal reminders or standby supervision. Our post on what adult services workers look for in an assessment goes into more detail on how that distinction plays out during the home visit.
One ADL usually isn't enough on its own
A single, occasional ADL need — like help getting dressed once in a while — often isn't enough by itself to reach an approved hours threshold. See our post on signs your parent may qualify for the everyday patterns that tend to add up to a stronger case.
IADLs still matter too
Household tasks like meal prep and light housekeeping fall into a related but separate category. Our companion guide on IADLs and the household tasks Home Help also covers explains how those get factored into approved hours.
