An Overview of the Activities of Daily Living
The activities of daily living are routine tasks most people are able to perform on a daily basis without assistance. Most senior care providers and health professionals group the activities of daily living into the following categories:
- Dressing: Being able to dress and undress, choose appropriate clothing for the weather and have the dexterity to manage buttons, zippers and other fasteners
- Eating: The ability to feed oneself (not including cooking)
- Bathing or Showering: This includes grooming activities such as shaving and brushing teeth and hair
- Continence: Being able to control bowels and bladder or to manage incontinence independently
- Toileting: The ability to use the toilet and get to the toilet independently
- Transferring: This refers to functional mobility. For most people, functional mobility is being able to walk, get in and out of bed, and into and out of a chair. If the person is not ambulatory, they should be able to transfer from bed to wheelchair on their own.
The instrumental activities of daily living are more complex tasks that require a certain amount of physical dexterity, sound judgment and organizational skills. The instrumental activities of daily living include the following:
- Using the telephone independently
- Taking the appropriate dose of medication at the appropriate time
- Planning menus, making healthy food choices and preparing meals safely
- Maintaining the home or arranging for housekeeping and laundry from an in-home care aide or other service
- Managing finances such as budgeting, paying the bills on time, managing a checkbook
- Being able to shop for groceries and other necessities and safely transporting them home
- The ability to drive or use public transportation for appointments or shopping
If you are just beginning to search for a senior housing option, we can help. Please call the Five Star Senior Living community nearest you to arrange for a private tour and complimentary lunch prepared by one of our chefs!
