Activities of daily living: What are they and how are they used?

Assessing when and what kind of additional care might be needed for a loved one or client can be tough. Independence can be difficult to gauge, and decline isn’t always apparent.

The six activities of daily living (ADLs) and the eight instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) can be helpful in assessing whether seniors can or should continue living on their own, or if some assistance might be needed. In some cases, insurance companies, including Medicaid, might also want to do an ADL or IADL assessment to verify needs before agreeing to pay for additional care or a nursing facility.

Activities of daily living (ADLs) history

ADLs were developed in the 1950s by internationally renowned geriatrician Sidney Katz to help healthcare providers measure changes in physical function for patients being treated for disabling conditions, such as a broken hip or following a stroke. Katz and his multidisciplinary team wanted to restore patients to as much independence as possible, but to do that, they had to first figure out what “independence” looked like.

Read more HERE!