Score the 10-item Barthel Index of daily living activities — feeding, bathing, dressing, mobility and more — for a total out of 100.
Result
How to use this tool
By what the person actually does, not what they could do with effort.
Each item has fixed values — pick the closest description.
The total updates live.
As a broad guide to dependence, not a care decision.
Formula & worked example
Independent on every item gives 100/100; needing help with dressing (5), transfers (10) and stairs (5) with the rest independent gives 85/100.
Limitations — read this before you rely on it
Educational aid only, using the published Barthel Index items and broad bands. It is not medical advice, not a formal care assessment, and does not cover instrumental activities, cognition or home safety. Formal assessment by a clinician or therapist is needed for care decisions.
Frequently asked questions
A 10-item measure of independence in basic activities of daily living, scored 0–100, widely used in rehabilitation and stroke care.
Broadly: 100 independent, 80–99 slight dependence, 60–79 moderate, 40–59 moderate–severe, 21–39 severe, 0–20 total dependence. Cut-offs vary slightly by source.
The common 0–100 version with 5-point steps (transfers and mobility up to 15). Some versions use different step sizes, so check which one your service uses.
Not necessarily — the index covers basic self-care and mobility only, not cooking, shopping, medicines or safety at home.
Yes, and that is the point: it tracks recovery or decline over time in rehabilitation.