Read the case, decide the patient’s Brighton Mobility Score, calculate it independently on your own device, then reveal the answer.
Identify the highest mobility task the patient can safely achieve most of the time. Then refine by transfer method, assistance, walking aid and distance. Do not reveal the answer until you have chosen a score.
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An 89-year-old woman with advanced frailty is admitted with urosepsis and delirium. She is unable to sit out, requires full assistance with feeding, washing, continence care and turning, and all personal care is provided in bed.
Why: She is completely bed bound and requires full assistance for all basic care, including turning and feeding.
An 86-year-old man with COPD is admitted with pneumonia. He remains bed bound because of weakness and breathlessness, but can hold a cup, drink independently and manage some food in bed. He has no safe sitting balance out of bed.
Why: He remains bed bound but can manage some hydration and nutrition independently; he has not yet reached safe sitting out.
An 88-year-old woman is recovering from influenza and dehydration. Nursing staff use a full hoist from bed to chair. She can sit out for about 45–60 minutes before fatigue and postural discomfort require return to bed.
Why: She requires a hoist for transfer and tolerates sitting out for less than 2 hours.
A 91-year-old man with Parkinsonism and recent chest infection requires a full hoist from bed to chair. Once positioned, he can remain comfortably seated for most of the morning, usually around 3 hours.
Why: He remains hoist dependent but has sitting tolerance greater than 2 hours.
An 84-year-old woman admitted after gastroenteritis and acute kidney injury can pull to stand using a Sara Stedy with staff assistance. She transfers to a chair but tires after 60–90 minutes and returns to bed.
Why: She can transfer using a Sara Stedy/equivalent but her sitting tolerance remains under 2 hours.
An 87-year-old man with heart failure exacerbation is improving. He transfers bed to chair with a Sara Stedy and can remain out for lunch and the afternoon, typically more than 2 hours.
Why: He uses a Sara Stedy/equivalent for transfer and tolerates sitting out for over 2 hours.
A 90-year-old woman with delirium following a UTI has regained enough strength to stand using a frame. She needs two staff to assist and steady her during bed-to-chair transfers.
Why: She completes a standing transfer with a frame/aid but requires two people.
An 83-year-old man recovering from pneumonia can rise with a frame and transfer from bed to chair with one nurse providing physical assistance.
Why: He can perform a standing transfer with a frame/aid with one-person assistance.
An 88-year-old woman with recent hyponatraemia is now stronger. She can stand and transfer using her frame without hands-on help, but staff remain beside her because she is still unsteady.
Why: She transfers with a frame using supervision only; no physical assistance is required.
An 85-year-old man admitted with cellulitis can independently rise from the bed, turn with his frame and sit safely in the chair. He does not yet walk any meaningful distance.
Why: He independently completes a standing transfer with a frame/aid.
An 89-year-old woman recovering from a lower respiratory tract infection can stand securely at the bedside with her frame without assistance. She remains too weak to take safe steps.
Why: She can stand independently with a frame but has not progressed to walking.
An 87-year-old man with severe deconditioning after ten days in hospital can walk about 3 metres from bed to chair using a frame, but needs two staff for support and safety.
Why: He walks with a frame and two-person assistance for less than 5 metres.
An 82-year-old woman recovering from COVID-19 can walk 3–4 metres using a frame with one physiotherapist providing physical assistance.
Why: She walks with a frame and one-person assistance for less than 5 metres.
An 86-year-old man admitted with community-acquired pneumonia now walks from his bed to the bathroom, approximately 7 metres, using a frame with one person assisting.
Why: He walks 5–10 metres with a frame and one-person assistance.
A 90-year-old woman with osteoarthritis and recent UTI can independently walk about 3 metres with her frame from bed to chair, but cannot yet manage a longer distance safely.
Why: She walks independently with a frame, but for less than 5 metres.
An 84-year-old man recovering from acute heart failure can independently walk about 8 metres with his frame to the toilet, then needs to rest because of fatigue.
Why: He walks independently with a frame for 5–10 metres.
An 88-year-old woman who was previously mobile with a rollator has recovered from a chest infection. She now walks independently with her frame for 20–30 metres along the ward.
Why: She walks independently with a frame for more than 10 metres.
An 81-year-old man with mild frailty is recovering after influenza. He no longer needs his frame and can walk about 8 metres using a stick.
Why: He can walk 5–10 metres using a stick.
An 86-year-old woman admitted with dehydration is almost back to baseline. She walks independently with a stick for 30 metres along the corridor.
Why: She walks with a stick for more than 10 metres.
An 83-year-old man recovering from a UTI can now walk unaided from his bed to the nearby bathroom, around 8 metres, but becomes fatigued over longer distances.
Why: He walks unaided for 5–10 metres but has not yet demonstrated full independent mobility over longer distances.
An 85-year-old woman admitted with pneumonia was temporarily deconditioned but has recovered. She transfers independently, walks unaided more than 30 metres, toilets independently and manages basic ward mobility without assistance.
Why: She walks unaided for more than 10 metres and has independent transfers and basic mobility.