Hands-on Assistance

Hands-on assistance happens when an individual needs physical help completing an activity of daily living. The individual would not be able to complete the activity without physical help. 

In Long-Term Care Insurance, hands-on assistance refers to a part of the legal definition for benefit triggers. 

The legal definition says that if a policyholder needs hands-on or stand-by help with two or more activities of daily living, then they can access their benefits. In other words, they trigger their benefits. 

You can learn more about benefit triggers with our article on the components of Long-Term Care Insurance. 

Care recipients may need hands-on assistance for many reasons. These can include, but aren’t limited to: 

• Dementia or cognitive decline
• Disability
• Chronic illness
• Accident
• Frailty from aging
• Mobility issues

Everyone has a different long-term care situation. Some people need hands-on help with every task, while others may only need help with one activity, such as bathing. 

Just because someone needs hands-on assistance doesn't mean they'll need it forever. Long-term care situations change with time. As people recover from accidents, they may no longer need hands-on assistance. Although, some people may develop a greater need for hands-on care as they age.