# Home-Care Assessment

## MASTERY

1. **Basic Steps Not Mastered**. These are skills for which your child cannot do all of the basic steps; he or she needs to learn some (or all) of the actions involved.

2. **Needs Assistance with Decisions**. These are skills for which your child can do the basic steps but needs help in making decisions about skill performance—he or she needs to be told when to do the skill, or what materials are needed, or how to begin, or whether the skill has been done well.

3. **Can Do Well and Independently**. These are skills for which your child can do the basic actions and make necessary decisions—so that you do not need to be there at all.

## MOTIVATION

1. **A Problem**. These are skills that your child does not perform without urging; he or she needs to be motivated.

2. **Not a Problem**. These are skills that your child performs regularly without special encouragement.

|  | MASTERY |  |  | MOTIVATION |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 |   |   |   |
| **SKILLS** | Basic Steps Not Mastered | Needs Assistance with Decisions | Can Do Well and Independently | A Problem | Not a Problem |
| Cleaning |   |   |   |   |   |
| Puts things away |   |   |   |   |   |
| Empties baskets and puts out trash |   |   |   |   |   |
| Sweeps |   |   |   |   |   |
| Dusts |   |   |   |   |   |
| Vacuums |   |   |   |   |   |
| Washes windows or mirrors |   |   |   |   |   |
| Mops floor |   |   |   |   |   |
| Waxes floor |   |   |   |   |   |
| Cleans sink |   |   |   |   |   |
| Cleans toilet |   |   |   |   |   |
| Cleans stove |   |   |   |   |   |
| Cleans oven |   |   |   |   |   |
| Defrosts and cleans refrigerator |   |   |   |   |   |
| Washes and dries dishes, pots, and pans |   |   |   |   |   |
| Loads dishwasher properly (if appropriate) |   |   |   |   |   |
| Shovels snow |   |   |   |   |   |
| **Laundry** |   |   |   |   |   |
| Separates machine from hand washables |   |   |   |   |   |
| Separates dry cleaning from washables |   |   |   |   |   |

---

## MASTERY MOTIVATION 123

|   | Basic Steps Not Mastered | Needs Assistance with Decisions | Can Do Well and Independently | A Problem | Not a Problem |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **SKILLS** |   |   |   |   |   |
| Separates clean from dirty clothes |   |   |   |   |   |
| Separates light from dark clothes |   |   |   |   |   |
| Washes items by hand |   |   |   |   |   |
| Hangs items on clothesline |   |   |   |   |   |
| Properly loads washing machine (knows what setting to use) |   |   |   |   |   |
| Measures soap |   |   |   |   |   |
| Uses dryer |   |   |   |   |   |
| Uses coin-op machines |   |   |   |   |   |
| Hangs up clothes neatly |   |   |   |   |   |
| Folds clothes neatly |   |   |   |   |   |
| Puts clothing away appropriately |   |   |   |   |   |
| Irons clothing as needed |   |   |   |   |   |

## Food Preparation

| Skills |   |   |   |   |   |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puts groceries away |   |   |   |   |   |
| Sets table |   |   |   |   |   |
| Clears table |   |   |   |   |   |
| Gets snack |   |   |   |   |   |
| Prepares cold breakfast |   |   |   |   |   |
| Makes sandwich (no mixing, no cooking) |   |   |   |   |   |
| Cooks prepared foods |   |   |   |   |   |
| Prepares hot breakfasts (e.g., eggs) |   |   |   |   |   |
| Uses oven (sets for temperature/times correctly) |   |   |   |   |   |
| Fixes salads and desserts |   |   |   |   |   |
| Cooks main dish |   |   |   |   |   |
| Cooks complete meal |   |   |   |   |   |
| Finds/replaces food and utensils in designated areas |   |   |   |   |   |
| Identifies canned or boxed food by labels |   |   |   |   |   |
| Stores leftover foods |   |   |   |   |   |
| Identifies and discards spoiled foods |   |   |   |   |   |
| Identifies and uses utensils and appliances: toaster |   |   |   |   |   |

## Replacing Used Items

| Skills |   |   |   |   |   |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Replaces burned-out light bulb |   |   |   |   |   |
| Replaces toilet paper roll or bar of soap in bathroom |   |   |   |   |   |
| Replaces batteries in toy, radio, or flashlight |   |   |   |   |   |
| Replaces vacuum cleaner bag |   |   |   |   |   |
| Replaces trash liners |   |   |   |   |   |

## Tool Use

| Skills |   |   |   |   |   |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appropriately uses: stepladder, hammer, screwdriver, wrench, pliers, measuring tape/yardstick, rope (ties knots) |   |   |   |   |   |

## Routine Adjustments and Maintenance

| Skills |   |   |   |   |   |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plugs/unplugs electrical appliances appropriately |   |   |   |   |   |
| Adjusts window, shades, and drapes to light or temperature |   |   |   |   |   |
| Adjusts thermostat |   |   |   |   |   |
| Adjusts TV, radio (and selects stations) |   |   |   |   |   |
| Secures the residence (at bedtime, when going out, and so forth) |   |   |   |   |   |
| Makes a bed |   |   |   |   |   |
| Changes a bed |   |   |   |   |   |
| Feeds and waters house plants |   |   |   |   |   |
| Waters, weeds, trims lawn or garden |   |   |   |   |   |
| Trims hedges, bushes (if appropriate) |   |   |   |   |   |

## Nonroutine Repairs

| Skills |   |   |   |   |   |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fixes broken hinge or handle |   |   |   |   |   |
| Tacks a screen |   |   |   |   |   |
| Resets a circuit breaker |   |   |   |   |   |
| Hangs a picture |   |   |   |   |   |
| Stops a continuously running toilet |   |   |   |   |   |
| Uses a plunger for clogged toilet or sink |   |   |   |   |   |
| Patches a crack in plaster |   |   |   |   |   |
| Rewinds a window shade |   |   |   |   |   |
| Removes a stain (carpet, clothing, curtains) |   |   |   |   |   |
| Glues broken items |   |   |   |   |   |
| Makes simple repairs on eyeglasses |   |   |   |   |   |
| Unjams a toaster |   |   |   |   |   |
| Splices a wire |   |   |   |   |   |
| Paints large surfaces with brush or roller |   |   |   |   |   |
| Paints small surfaces or trim with brush |   |   |   |   |   |
| Cleans brushes and rollers |   |   |   |   |   |
| Knows when to seek professional help for repairs |   |   |   |   |   |

From *Steps to Independence*, Fourth Edition. Copyright 2004 by Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co., Inc. All rights reserved.