Functional Index (FI)
What it means in California's IHSS program, in plain English.
The 1–5 ranking system social workers use to measure how much help a recipient needs with a specific task, based on California's Manual of Policies and Procedures (MPP §30-756.1):
Rank 1 — May have difficulty, but the task poses no substantial safety risk. No hours are authorized for this task.
Rank 2 — Needs verbal assistance only: reminding, guidance, or encouragement.
Rank 3 — Needs some physical, hands-on help to complete the task.
Rank 4 — Needs substantial physical assistance to complete the task.
Rank 5 — Cannot perform the task, even with help.
Each rank (2 through 5) corresponds to a range of authorized weekly hours from the Hourly Task Guidelines. Memory, Orientation, and Judgment are ranked on a separate 3-point scale (1, 2, or 5 only), which feeds into the Protective Supervision determination instead. See the full rank-by-rank reference, including where the line falls between Rank 3 and Rank 4.
Read the full guide
Official program information: CDSS — In-Home Supportive Services. Definitions here are IHSSHours.com's plain-English explanations, not the regulatory text.
