Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)
Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs)
Basic ADLs
The basic activities of daily living consist of these self-care tasks:
- Bathing
- Dressing and undressing
- Eating
- Transferring from bed to chair, and back
- Voluntarily control urinary and fecal discharge
- Using the toilet
- Walking (not bedridden)
Instrumental ADLs
Instrumental activities of daily living are not necessary for fundamental functioning, but enable the individual to live independently within a community:
- Light housework
- Preparing meals
- Taking medications
- Shopping for groceries or clothes
- Using the telephone
- Managing money
Occupational therapists also evaluate IADLs when completing patient assessments. These include 11 areas of IADLs that are generally optional in nature, and can be delegated to others:
- Care of others (including selecting and supervising caregivers)
- Care of pets
- Child rearing
- Communication device use
- Community mobility
- Financial management
- Health management and maintenance
- Meal preparation and cleanup
- Safety procedures and emergency responses
- Shopping
Related posts
- Caregiver Information
Activities for You & Your Loved One
Paint or draw a picture (but be sure to never start with a blank sheet of paper) - Caregiver Information
ADRC Support Groups
The Alzheimer’s & Dementia Resource Center provides staff-facilitated support groups for caregivers. No reservation is necessary. - Caregiver Information
Can your loved one be left alone?
At some point, you will need to determine if you can leave your loved one alone in the house for more than a few minutes without supervision.