Activities of daily living (ADLs) are things people do every day to take care of their own body, normally without needing assistance. There are six basic ADLs:

1. Eating – being able to feed oneself (does not include the ability to prepare food.)
2. Bathing – being able to clean and groom oneself. Grooming includes brushing teeth, hair, shaving.
3. Dressing – being able to select appropriate clothes and put them on.
4. Toileting – being able to go to the toilet, use it appropriately, clean oneself afterwards and get up and return from the toilet.
5. Walking – for someone to be considered able to walk as an ADL, they should have the ability to move from place to place, particularly in and out of bed, a chair and to other areas of the house (kitchen and bathroom).  This does not include going for a walk to get exercise.
6. Continence – being able to control bowel and bladder functions.

Someone’s ability to do their activities of daily living is used as a measure of their functional status, particularly in the case of people with disabilities and older adults who are physically or mentally impaired. When creating a care plan at home, in a community or in a rehabilitation location, it’s critical to know someone’s ability when it comes to performing ADLs.

Instrumental Activities of daily living (IADLs) are also important to assess because they indicate whether someone can live independently in a community or at home. These include managing finances, transportation (including driving or navigating public transportation), shopping, preparing meals, using communication devices and managing medications. IADLs require an individual be able to walk and move for longer than ADLs.

Join our private community on Facebook to hear how others are handling the assessment of ADLs and IADLs for their loved ones, and their strategies for lending support when it’s needed.

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