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For example, Lifting pans or other kitchen items could bring about shortness of breath. You may need someone to help you with these tasks.
You may require aids, like an electric tin opener or bottle grip, to help you reduce the exertion involved in preparing food or because you feel weak or fatigued.
1a. Can prepare and cook a simple meal unaided. (0 points)
1b. Needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to either prepare or cook a simple meal. (2 points)
1c. Cannot cook a simple meal using a conventional cooker but is able to do so using a microwave. (2 points)
1d. Needs prompting to be able to either prepare or cook a simple meal. (2 points)
1e. Needs supervision or assistance to either prepare or cook a simple meal. (4 points)
1f. Cannot prepare and cook food. (8 points)
For example, if you are severely breathless, you may find yourself having to eat very slowly or take lots of breaks during a meal. It might take you more than twice as long as another person to eat a meal and you may need someone to prompt you to finish the meal.
You may be at risk of choking and need someone to be with you when eating to help you if this happens.
2a. Can take nutrition unaided. (0 points)
2b. Needs either - (i) to use an aid or appliance to take nutrition; or (ii) supervision to be able to take nutrition; or (iii) assistance to be able to cut up food. (2 points)
2c. Needs a therapeutic source to take nutrition. (2 points)
2d. Needs prompting to be able to take nutrition. (4 points)
2e. Needs assistance to be able to manage a therapeutic source to take nutrition. (6 points)
2f. Cannot convey food and drink to their mouth and needs another person to do so. (10 points)
For example, if you use home oxygen, you may need someone to help you to use this effectively or to assist you when any problems arise.
3a. Either - (i) does not receive medication or therapy or need to monitor a health condition; or (ii) can manage medication or therapy or monitor a health condition unaided. (0 points)
3b. Needs any one or more of the following - (i) to use an aid or appliance to be able to manage medication; (ii) supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to manage medication; (iii) supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to monitor a health condition. (1 point)
3c. Needs supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to manage therapy that takes no more than 3.5 hours a week. (2 points)
3d. Needs supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to manage therapy that takes more than 3.5 but no more than 7 hours a week. (4 points)
3e. Needs supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to manage therapy that takes more than 7 but no more than 14 hours a week. (6 points)
3f. Needs supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to manage therapy that takes more than 14 hours a week. (8 points)
For example, you may experience shortness of breath upon bending and so need an aid, such as a long-handled brush or shower seat, to reduce the need to bend.
You may experience such a degree of breathlessness that aids are insufficient to help you to wash and you may need physical assistance from another person to wash your hair or body.
4a. Can wash and bathe unaided. (0 points)
4b. Needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to wash or bathe. (2 points)
4c. Needs supervision or prompting to be able to wash or bathe. (2 points)
4d. Needs assistance to be able to wash either their hair or body below the waist. (2 points)
4e. Needs assistance to be able to get in or out of a bath or shower. (3 points)
4f. Needs assistance to be able to wash their body between the shoulders and waist. (4 points)
4g. Cannot wash and bathe at all and needs another person to wash their entire body. (8 points)
For example, a severe coughing fit could cause you to lose control of your bladder and you may need an aid (such as a pad) or assistance to manage this difficulty.
5a. Can manage toilet needs or incontinence unaided. (0 points)
5b. Needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to manage toilet needs or incontinence. (2 points)
5c. Needs supervision or prompting to be able to manage toilet needs. (2 points)
5d. Needs assistance to be able to manage toilet needs. (4 points)
5e. Needs assistance to be able to manage incontinence of either bladder or bowel. (6 points)
5f. Needs assistance to be able to manage incontinence of both bladder and bowel. (8 points)
For example, adapted clothing, such as a front-fastening bra, may reduce the exertion involved in dressing and enable you to dress independently.
6a. Can dress and undress unaided. (0 points)
6b. Needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to dress or undress. (2 points)
6c. Needs either - (i) prompting to be able to dress, undress or determine appropriate circumstances for remaining clothed; or (ii) prompting or assistance to be able to select appropriate clothing. (2 points)
6d. Needs assistance to be able to dress or undress their lower body. (2 points)
6e. Needs assistance to be able to dress or undress their upper body. (4 points)
6f. Cannot dress or undress at all. (8 points)
For example, if you are so severely short of breath that you cannot complete a sentence, another person who knows you well might have to help you to get across what you are trying to say.
7a. Can express and understand verbal information unaided. (0 points)
7b. Needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to speak or hear. (2 points)
7c. Needs communication support to be able to express or understand complex verbal information. (4 points)
7d. Needs communication support to be able to express or understand basic verbal information. (8 points)
7e. Cannot express or understand verbal information at all even with communication support. (12 points)
We don't know of a reason why your condition would affect this activity. But you may know of one or you may have another condition which is relevant.
8a. Can read and understand basic and complex written information either unaided or using spectacles or contact lenses. (0 points)
8b. Needs to use an aid or appliance, other than spectacles or contact lenses, to be able to read or understand either basic or complex written information. (2 points)
8c. Needs prompting to be able to read or understand complex written information. (2 points)
8d. Needs prompting to be able to read or understand basic written information. (4 points)
8e. Cannot read or understand signs, symbols or words at all. (8 points)
9a. Can engage with other people unaided. (0 points)
9b. Needs prompting to be able to engage with other people. (2 points)
9c. Needs social support to be able to engage with other people. (4 points)
9d. Cannot engage with other people due to such engagement causing either - (i) overwhelming psychological distress to the claimant; or (ii) the claimant to exhibit behaviour which would result in a substantial risk of harm to the claimant or another person. (8 points)
10a. Can manage complex budgeting decisions unaided. (0 points)
10b. Needs prompting or assistance to be able to make complex budgeting decisions. (2 points)
10c. Needs prompting or assistance to be able to make simple budgeting decisions. (4 points)
10d. Cannot make any budgeting decisions at all. (6 points)
For example, if you have cough syncope, where coughing causes you to faint, it may be unsafe for you to go out alone. You may need someone with you to help you safely follow the route of both familiar and unfamiliar journeys.
11a. Can plan and follow the route of a journey unaided. (0 points)
11b. Needs prompting to be able to undertake any journey to avoid overwhelming psychological distress to the claimant. (4 points)
11c. Cannot plan the route of a journey. (8 points)
11d. Cannot follow the route of an unfamiliar journey without another person, assistance dog or orientation aid. (10 points)
11e. Cannot undertake any journey because it would cause overwhelming psychological distress to the claimant. (10 points)
11f. Cannot follow the route of a familiar journey without another person, an assistance dog or an orientation aid. (12 points)
For example, frequent stops to ease shortness of breath or bouts of coughing may mean you take more than twice as long as someone without COPD to walk a particular distance. You can therefore argue that you cannot complete that distance reliably, because you cannot do it in a reasonable time.
12a. Can stand and then move more than 200 metres, either aided or unaided. (0 points)
12b. Can stand and then move more than 50 metres but no more than 200 metres, either aided or unaided. (4 points)
12c. Can stand and then move unaided more than 20 metres but no more than 50 metres. (8 points)
12d. Can stand and then move using an aid or appliance more than 20 metres but no more than 50 metres. (10 points)
12e. Can stand and then move more than 1 metre but no more than 20 metres, either aided or unaided. (12 points)
12f. Cannot, either aided or unaided, (i) stand; or (ii) move more than 1 metre. (12 points)
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