Barthel Index Calculator / Barthel Index
Barthel Index Score Interpretation 0 20
Score the Barthel Index of activities of daily living on the 100-point and 20-point scales.
Your result
Enter your numbers and press the button. Your result appears here.
How the Barthel Index is scored
The Barthel Index (Mahoney and Barthel, 1965) rates 10 everyday activities. Higher scores mean more independence.
Total = sum of 10 items (0–100); 20-point version = total ÷ 5
Shah's bands: 0–20 total, 21–60 severe, 61–90 moderate, 91–99 slight dependence, 100 independent.
20-point version
The 20-point Barthel scores each item 0–1, 0–2 or 0–3 and is the 100-point score divided by 5. Scores of 0–4 indicate very severe dependence.
Barthel Index bands
| 100-point | 20-point | Dependence |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 20 | Independent |
| 91–99 | 19 | Slight |
| 61–90 | 13–18 | Moderate |
| 21–60 | 5–12 | Severe |
| 0–20 | 0–4 | Total |
Common questions
What is a good Barthel score?
100 means fully independent in the 10 activities. Under 60 usually means significant help is needed.
Can frailty be reversed?
Often, partly. Strength exercise, enough protein and treating underlying conditions help.
Should I talk to a doctor?
Yes, if the result worries you or if you have new symptoms. These tools support, but do not replace, a clinical assessment.
Sources
- US Social Security Administration. Actuarial life table, 2022 period life table (2025 Trustees Report).
- Levine ME et al. An epigenetic biomarker of aging for lifespan and healthspan. Aging 2018;10:573–591; Liu Z et al. PLoS Med 2018;15:e1002718 (and correction).
- Morris JF, Temple W. Spirometric "lung age" estimation for motivating smoking cessation. Prev Med 1985;14:655–662. Quanjer PH et al. ECSC lung volumes and forced ventilatory flows. Eur Respir J 1993;6 Suppl 16:5–40.
- CDC. STEADI: Stay Independent brochure. Morse JM et al. A prospective study to identify the fall-prone patient. Soc Sci Med 1989;28:81–86.
- Bohannon RW, Andrews AW. Normal walking speed: a descriptive meta-analysis. Physiotherapy 2011;97:182–189. Studenski S et al. Gait speed and survival in older adults. JAMA 2011;305:50–58.
- Mahoney FI, Barthel DW. Functional evaluation: the Barthel Index. Md State Med J 1965;14:61–65. Shah S et al. J Clin Epidemiol 1989;42:703–709.
- Morley JE et al. A simple frailty questionnaire (FRAIL). J Nutr Health Aging 2012;16:601–608. Searle SD et al. A standard procedure for creating a frailty index. BMC Geriatr 2008;8:24.
- Kivipelto M et al. Risk score for the prediction of dementia risk in 20 years among middle aged people. Lancet Neurol 2006;5:735–741. Tombaugh TN, McIntyre NJ. J Am Geriatr Soc 1992;40:922–935.