Daily living component activity 3 descriptor B (1 point)
Needs any one or more of the following:
- to use an aid or appliance to be able to manage medication
- supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to manage medication
- supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to monitor a health condition
Examples of aids and appliances
Aids and appliances used to help manage medication can include but are not limited to:
- dosette boxes
- alarms set up by an individual or another person on behalf of an individual
- reminders set up by an individual or another person on behalf of an individual
- blister packs of medication
- slide drawer medication boxes
- pill cutters
What we do not consider an aid or appliance
The following devices are not considered to be aids or appliances for managing medication.
They’re standard devices used to deliver medication or monitor a health condition, and do not replace, improve or provide any impaired function of the client:
- inhalers
- inhaler spacers
- injections (e.g. needle and syringe, epipen, pump delivery system)
- glucose meters
- nebulisers
Who it applies to
If a client uses one of these devices, and does not otherwise require prompting, supervision, assistance, or the use of a device which is considered an aid or appliance to complete the activity, then they may satisfy descriptor A.
If an individual requires prompting, supervision or assistance to use a device to take medication or monitor their health condition they may satisfy daily living component activity 3 descriptor B.
If an individual can use a device to take medication or monitor their health condition themselves, then this will not be relevant to activity 3.
What descriptor B does not cover
Therapy
Therapy is not relevant under daily living component activity 3 descriptor B. The focus is medication and monitoring health of an individual.
Methadone taken under professional supervision
An individual taking methadone (a controlled substance used to treat heroin addiction) under supervision of a health professional would not usually score under daily living component activity 3 descriptor B if their needs do not meet any additional conditions of this descriptor.
Depot injection given away from home
An individual receiving a slow-release form of medication through a depot injection given in their home would score under daily living component activity 3 descriptor B.
If the injection were given outside of their home, then they would not be awarded this descriptor.
Monitoring a health condition
For the monitoring aspect of daily living component activity 3 descriptor B to apply there usually needs to be a valid reason that an individual is unable to monitor their own health.
For example, an individual with a learning disability who needs regular blood pressure testing due to a heart condition and needs the assistance of another person to use a blood pressure monitor at home.
If the health condition causes someone not to take medication
If an individual does not take medication due to a lack of insight relating to their health condition, daily living component activity 3 descriptor B will apply.
The individual must be unable to reliably manage their medication independently if the use of aids or appliances is required.
If supervision is needed to take medication properly and safely
Supervision may be required to:
- ensure that medication is taken properly, or
- to minimise the risk of accidental or deliberate overdose
For risk of overdose it is likely that there will be supporting information to support the severity of the risk.
If prompting is needed to remember to take medication correctly
Prompting may be necessary to remind an individual to take medication at certain times, for example due to short-term memory difficulties, or to repeatedly explain why it’s necessary for the individual to take medication where the individual’s ability to understand is impacted.
If assistance is needed to access medication or get the right dose
Assistance may be required for example, where an individual needs physical help opening bottles or taking pills out of blister packs, or help interpreting blood sugar levels to administer the correct dose of medication.
Example: an individual with Reynaud’s phenomena, who satisfies daily living component activity 3 descriptor B (i)
Nora has Reynaud’s phenomena and experiences pain and immobility in her fingers.
This used to only affect her for a couple of months in winter but as it has got worse, she has noticed that it’s affecting her nearly every day now.
She has:
- completed her application for ADP and
- included a letter from her practice nurse at the GP surgery to support her application and confirm her diagnosis
Application form
In her application she says that:
- her medication is difficult to open, especially the smaller tablets that are in a blister packet
- she uses a special pill popper which is like a stapler that goes over the packet of medication
She can then squeeze her whole hand together, instead of just her fingers to push the pill out.
As Nora has difficulties with dexterity she needs to use a device to help her with this.
Case manager’s decision
The case manager determines that Nora satisfies daily living component activity 3 descriptor B because she requires an aid to manage her medication.
Example: an individual with obsessive compulsive disorder who satisfies daily living component activity 3 descriptor B (ii)
Sandra has obsessive compulsive disorder and is supposed to take medication each day to control her symptoms of anxiety.
She has written in her ADP application form that this can take her a lot of time because of the rituals that she performs every morning.
Supporting information
She has included a letter from her psychiatrist that states that when Sandra’s staying with her mum, she’ll take her medication more frequently because her mum encourages her to take her medication.
Application form
In her application Sandra says that she finds it hard to break the routine of her compulsions but that when her mum is there, she listens to her mum who reminds her that the medication helps control her anxiety.
As Sandra needs the encouragement from another person to take her medication, without which her anxiety due to obsessive compulsive disorder would not be controlled, she requires prompting.
Case manager’s decision
The case manager determines that Sandra satisfies daily living component activity 3 descriptor B because information shows that the encouragement she receives from her mother is effective and that without it, she would not take her medication to an acceptable standard.
Example: an individual with diabetes who does not satisfy daily living component activity 3 descriptor B (ii)
Stephen has diabetes and needs to inject his insulin/medication to manage his diabetes.
Application
In his application he says that he can take his medication in this manner without any prompting, supervision or assistance, or any other aid or appliance.
An injection would not be treated as an aid here because while it may be regarded as a device, it simply delivers medication to help Stephen combat his diabetes.
The injection itself therefore does not improve, provide or replace Stephen’s impaired function.
Case manager’s decision
The case manager determines that Stephen satisfies daily living component activity 3 descriptor A (ii) because the information shows that he can manage his medication without prompting, supervision or assistance, or any other aid or appliance.