Free FIM Self Care Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: How independent is a patient who can cut their food and bring it to their mouth but needs supervision to ensure they don’t choke?
- Complete Independence
- Modified Independence
- Supervision (Correct answer)
- Minimal Assistance
Correct answer: Supervision
In the Functional Independence Measure (FIM), 'Supervision' means the patient requires no physical help but needs verbal cues, encouragement, or setup assistance to complete the task safely. In this scenario, the patient can perform the physical act of eating but needs supervision to prevent choking, indicating a need for monitoring rather than direct physical assistance.
Question 2: A patient needs help gathering grooming items but can brush their teeth and wash their face independently once items are set up. What level of assistance is this?
- Complete Independence
- Modified Independence
- Supervision
- Setup Assistance (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Setup Assistance
'Setup Assistance' in FIM refers to a level where the patient can perform all the physical steps of a task once the items are prepared or arranged for them. Here, the patient needs help gathering grooming items, which is a setup component, but can independently perform the actual brushing and washing. This falls under the broader category of Modified Independence, specifically setup.
Question 3: A patient requires physical help to wash their back and lower body but can wash their upper body without help. What is their FIM score for bathing?
- Total Assistance
- Maximal Assistance
- Moderate Assistance (Correct answer)
- Minimal Assistance
Correct answer: Moderate Assistance
'Moderate Assistance' in FIM means the patient performs 50-74% of the effort for a task, while the helper provides 26-50% of the effort. If a patient needs physical help for their back and lower body but can do their upper body independently, the helper is providing significant, but not total, physical assistance, which aligns with the definition of moderate assistance.
Question 4: A patient requires help to get to the toilet and pull down their pants but can use the toilet and clean themselves independently once there. What is their FIM level for toileting?
- Minimal Assistance
- Moderate Assistance (Correct answer)
- Maximal Assistance
- Supervision
Correct answer: Moderate Assistance
'Moderate Assistance' in FIM indicates that the patient performs 50-74% of the task, and the helper provides 26-50% of the effort. In this scenario, the patient needs physical help to get to the toilet and pull down pants, which are significant parts of the toileting process, even if they can perform the core function independently. This level of assistance falls within the moderate range.
Question 5: If a patient can dress their upper body but needs help with buttons and zippers, what is their level of independence?
- Minimal Assistance
- Moderate Assistance (Correct answer)
- Maximal Assistance
- Complete Independence
Correct answer: Moderate Assistance
'Moderate Assistance' in FIM means the patient performs 50-74% of the effort, and the helper provides 26-50% of the effort. If a patient can dress their upper body but needs help with buttons and zippers, these fine motor tasks represent a significant portion of the dressing effort, requiring more than minimal assistance but less than maximal.
Free FIM Self Care Questions and Answers
How independent is a patient who can cut their food and bring it to their mouth but needs supervision to ensure they don’t choke?