Activities of Daily Living

Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) are the tasks that people perform on a daily basis to maintain their health and well-being. These tasks are fundamental to living independently and can be categorized into basic and instrumental activities of daily living.

Basic Activities of Daily Living[edit | edit source]

Basic Activities of Daily Living (BADLs) are the fundamental tasks required for personal self-care. These include:

Eating: The ability to feed oneself.
Bathing: The ability to wash one's body.
Dressing: The ability to select and put on clothes.
Toileting: The ability to use the toilet, including getting on and off the toilet.
Mobility: The ability to move from one place to another, such as getting in and out of bed or a chair.
Continence: The ability to control bladder and bowel functions.

Instrumental Activities of Daily Living[edit | edit source]

Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs) are more complex tasks that require a higher level of cognitive and physical function. These include:

Housekeeping: The ability to maintain a clean living environment.
Meal Preparation: The ability to plan and prepare meals.
Shopping: The ability to purchase necessary items such as food and household supplies.
Managing Medications: The ability to obtain medications and take them as prescribed.
Managing Finances: The ability to manage one's financial affairs, such as paying bills and managing bank accounts.
Using the Telephone: The ability to make and receive phone calls.
Driving or Arranging Transportation: The ability to travel to necessary appointments and activities.

Assessment of Activities of Daily Living[edit | edit source]

Assessment of an individual's ability to perform ADLs is a key component of many health care evaluations, particularly for older adults and people with disabilities. Tools such as the Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living and the Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale are commonly used to assess ADLs.