What is the GIR?
The GIR is part of a French assessment tool (the AGGIR scale) that measures a person’s loss of independence. It gauges the degree of dependency and helps identify the type of home best suited to someone’s needs. The AGGIR scale sorts levels of dependency into six groups known as GIR (from the French Groupe Iso-Ressources). GIR 1 is the highest level of dependency and GIR 6 the lowest. In France, GIR 1 to 4 open the door to a state care allowance.
The GIR does not exist in the UK. Here, care needs are worked out through a care needs assessment carried out by the local authority, which looks at how much help a person needs with everyday tasks and what support should be put in place. We explain the French GIR scale below because you may come across it when looking at care in a French-speaking country such as Tunisia, but there is no exact numerical equivalent in the UK system.
The AGGIR scale
GIR 1: people who are nearing the end of life or confined to bed or a chair, with impaired mental function. They need a constant, indispensable carer presence.
GIR 2: this group covers two profiles. Both are people confined to bed or a chair. The first also have partly impaired mental function and need help with most everyday activities. The second have impaired mental function but are still able to move around, and so need constant supervision.
GIR 3: people who have kept their mental independence but need help with personal care several times a day because of reduced mobility.
GIR 4: this group also covers two profiles. The first cannot get up on their own but, once up, can move around inside their home and need help with washing and dressing. The second have no mobility problems but need help with personal care and meals.
GIR 5: residents who need only occasional help with washing, preparing meals and housework.
GIR 6: residents who are still independent for the essential acts of everyday life.
Within the French system, the AGGIR scale helps identify the most suitable type of home. Nursing homes are best suited to the first levels, while for the later levels a home with little or no medical support is more appropriate. Whatever framework is used, the principle is the same everywhere: the more support a person needs, the more medicalised the setting should be.