Activites of Daily Living

A man and woman laying in bed smiling for the camera.

We can’t avoid age. However, we can avoid some aging. Continue to do things. Be active. Life is fantastic in the way it adjusts to demands; if you use your muscles and mind, they stay there much longer.

~Charles H. Townes

Aging in Place

ADLs/IADLs

Using a person’s functioning level as it relates to Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) can help with determining the level of care assistance that person needs. Use this easy list to get a baseline of needs based on the actual activities it takes to maintain independence.

  • Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) are activities in which people engage on a day-to-day basis. These are everyday personal care activities that are fundamental to caring for oneself and maintaining independence.
  • Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs) are activities related to independent living and are valuable for evaluating persons with the early-stage disease, both to assess the level of disease and to determine the person’s ability to care for himself or herself. Use the Activities of Daily Living and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living lists below and check the level of function for the person as it relates to each activity

Activities of Daily Living (ADL)

ADL Function: Independent Needs Help Dependent Cannot Do

Bathing

Dressing

Grooming

Mouth care

Toileting

Transferring bed/chair

Walking

Climbing stairs

Eating

Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL)

IADL Function: Independent – Needs Help – Dependent – Cannot Do

Shopping

Cooking

Managing medications

Using the phone and

Looking up numbers

Doing housework

Doing laundry

Driving or using public

Transportation

*Managing finances

*Financial management should never be done by the same person who is providing care.

Recognizing a person’s limitations is the first step in developing a care plan (or making a referral for care) to provide the appropriate type and level of assistance. Determining the type of ADL and IADL care that is needed also enables a clear idea of whether staying at home with care is an option.

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