Which term describes a patient who is unable to ambulate safely without assistance?

• A. Ambulatory
• B. Chairfast
• C. Nonambulatory
• D. Wheelchair-dependent

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is how to label a patient’s walking ability in home health assessments. When someone cannot walk safely without help, the appropriate term is chairfast. This descriptor communicates that the person is effectively confined to a chair and cannot ambulate on their own, requiring assistance for any mobility. It signals a level of functional limitation that is greater than simply needing help but still less than being completely non-ambulatory or wheelchair-dependent.

Ambulatory would mean they walk independently. Nonambulatory implies they cannot walk at all. Wheelchair-dependent describes someone who relies on a wheelchair for mobility, usually as their primary means, but it doesn’t by itself specify that they can’t ambulate safely with assistance. Chairfast specifically captures the scenario of inability to ambulate without assistance.