ADLs, IADLs, And What They Mean for Seniors

ADL, IADL, Baseline... If you don't "speak the language" all of these terms can be very confusing! Many people are just begining their search for how to care for aging parents.  If that is you, then this blog is for you! 

The best place to start in determining care needs is a baseline assesment.

Let's start with the verbage: 

ADL = Activities of Daily Living.

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.

Basic ADLs:

Measuring Health: A Guide to Rating Scales and Questionnaires states that the basic ADLs consist of these self-care tasks:

• Personal hygiene
• Dressing and undressing
• Eating/feeding
• Transferring from bed to chair, and back
• Voluntarily controlling urinary and fecal discharge
• Elimination/toileting
• Moving around (as opposed to being bedridden)

Healthcare professionals as well as age in place specialists use these normal daily activities as a means for determining if care needs exist.  But it goes a step further...

IADLs = Instrumental Activities of Daily Living

are activities related to independent living and are valuable for evaluating persons with early-stage disease, both to assess the level of disease and to determine the person’s ability to care for himself or herself.

These skills are necessary for true independence, but not necessary for fundamental living.  Examples are:

• Doing basic light housework
• Laundry
• Preparing meals
• Taking and managing medications
• Shopping for groceries or clothes
• Using the telephone and looking up numbers
• Managing money
• Using technology as appropriate
• Driving or using public transportation

 

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.

 

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 or not staying at home with care is an option. For further assistance in determining appropriate care needs, or for a comprehensive geriatric care assessment by a professional, contact us.

Natalie Schneider, CMC is a certified Geriatric Care Manager and President of American Companion Care and American Care Management.

Sources: 

McDowell, I., and Newell, C. (1996). Measuring Health: A Guide to Rating Scales and Questionnaires, 2nd edition. New York: Oxford University Press

Bookman, A., Harrington, M., Pass, L., & Reisner, E. (2007). Family Caregiver Handbook. Cambridge, MA: Massachusetts Institute of Technology