What are ADLs And Why Do They Matter?

ADL stands for activities of daily living. These are key life tasks that people need to manage and live at home independently. If you are caring for a senior or a disabled person, ADLs are important gauges of the level of functioning. They are critical to obtaining the right level of assistance in the home to keep your loved one secure, safe, and accident-free.

There are six ADLs. They are basic self-care tasks that we learn as very young children.

• Bathing: getting into a shower or tub, washing one’s face and body
• Dressing and grooming: choosing clothes (all layers), putting them on and fastening fasteners, and managing one’s personal appearance (shaving, makeup, nail care, etc.)
• Feeding: getting food from a plate into the mouth
• Walking or ambulating: getting around the home and outside.
• Transferring: moving from one body position to another. This includes moving from a bed to a chair or wheelchair, standing up from a bed or chair to grasp a walker or an assistive device.
• Toileting: getting to the bathroom, using it appropriately, and related tasks

There is range within each ADL. For each ADL, people can vary from needing a small amount of assistance (a reminder, standing by just in case) to full dependency, which entails others to complete the task for them.

There is another set of self-care tasks we usually learn as teenagers. They require higher-level thinking and organizational skills. These six are called IADLs, instrumental activities of daily living.

• Managing finances
• Managing transportation (either by driving or organizing another means of transportation)
• Shopping (for clothing and food) and meal preparation
• Housekeeping and home maintenance
• Managing communication and correspondence
• Managing medications (obtaining them and taking them as directed)_

ADLs and IADLs are used to determine a person’s capacity to function. Problems with these usually reflect problems with physical and/or cognitive health. Therefore, they are key markers when we care for older people. We want to be sure that they are getting the help and support they need to compensate for or overcome these difficulties.

When your family member is beginning to struggle with ADLs and IADLs, it is a good idea to be proactive and get help. You want to keep your loved one safe and prevent an emergency in the future.  These indicators are important metrics for a variety of funded services and programs related to caring for the elderly and people with disabilities.

Long-term care insurance, state-funded senior assistance programs and Medicaid home care pay close attention to these markers to determine eligibility for funded home care. As of January 1, 2019, the Medicare Advantage programs will also fund home care in an effort to keep patients safe and healthy at home and ADLs and IADLs will be part of the assessment criteria they are currently  developing.

Caring Professionals can help ease your caregiving responsibility and determine what level of home care your loved one needs. We offer private pay home care, Medicaid home care (Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program and traditional care from aides), home care funded by long-term care insurance, and funded home care for holocaust survivors.  Call us at 718.307.6272 to find out what will work for your loved one. Why go it alone?

By Faigie Horowitz, MS

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A veteran nonprofit leader, Faigie Horowitz, MS is a columnist, motivational speaker and active community rebbetzin in Lawrence, NY.