Barthel Index
Basic activities of daily living across ten items, 0 to 100 points. Baztán thresholds: under 20 total dependence, 100 independence.
Updated · Methodology
About this calculator
The index covers ten basic actions: feeding, bathing, dressing, grooming, bowel and bladder continence, toilet use, transfers, walking and stairs. Scoring moves in steps of 5 to a maximum of 100. The thresholds used in Spanish practice come from Baztán 1993: under 20 total dependence, 20-35 severe, 40-55 moderate, 60 and above mild, 100 independence. A patient who is independent in a wheelchair is handled separately: the ceiling is 90, because mobility earns 5 and stairs are not attempted. The limits are well described. The index records what a person actually does in their own setting rather than what they could manage in a consulting room, so a proxy report and direct observation often disagree. Sensitivity at the top of the range is poor: someone scoring 100 may still fail at shopping, transport and money, which is what the Lawton-Brody scale covers. Cognition is not assessed here.
Source
Formula version: mahoney-1965-baztan-1993-v1
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