activities of daily living

Activities of Daily Living

The basic tasks that a person performs each day are known as the activities of daily living. If a person is unable to perform these tasks properly, certain measures need to be taken in order to help them. In this Buzzle article, we will discuss on the topic in detail.

Activities of daily living or ADLs is a term that is commonly used in healthcare, especially when the nursing of an elderly or a disabled person is involved. Any activity or task that an individual undertakes throughout the course of the day constitutes as instrumental ADLs. Eating, walking, personal grooming, and hygiene, all come under it. Many medical institutions and insurance companies conduct a study of these activities on individuals that may require additional attention. Mostly, elderly people, people with mental illnesses, and physically-challenged people are usually put through this study. The reason for carrying out this study is to assess the functionality of a person. Once this has been ascertained, the health professionals can determine what type of treatment or special care should be provided. Importance of Activities Checklist There are 6 basic activities that a person is expected to perform. So, if an individual cannot perform at least 2 of these activities independently, the nursing home will mostly likely admit him/her. All the tasks are monitored to ascertain if a person should be admitted or not. The cost of admitting someone into nursing homes is quite high, and as a result they need to be absolutely certain with their decision. Basic ADLs As mentioned earlier, there are basically 6 ADLs that any health professional will consider a part of this list.
Taking a bath/shower
Getting dressed
Eating
Toilet hygiene
Personal hygiene/grooming
Moving from one place to another
These activities need to be performed independently in order for an individual to take care of himself/herself. The most common cases where people are unable to independently perform their ADLs, is in the case of elderly people. Therefore, the analysis of these activities for elderly people is of utmost importance. Based on the results of the analysis, it can be decided what sort of nursing conditions a particular individual will require. Instrumental ADLs Apart from the fundamental ADLs mentioned above, there is a list of instrumental ADLs that determine if a person is capable of living in a community independently, or if they require additional assistance.
Cooking
Taking medication
Shopping
Using the telephone
Managing money
Care of others
Care of pets
Doing housework
Emergency responses
Safety procedures
If it is found that a person can perform their basic ADLs but are unable to perform their instrumental ADLs, it is probably best to assign someone to look after them. Mostly, insurance companies tend to require this information as most of the treatments will be covered by their organizations. There is a possibility that some people may try to con these companies in order to get the insurance money. So, these companies carry out the tests very carefully to ascertain the true functionality and mobility of an individual. Before a person is actually admitted into a nursing home for treatment, everyone must be made well aware of the specific activities they can and cannot perform. Elderly people and those with chronic illnesses are likely to be more susceptible to these tests. Monitoring their functionality can only benefit the family members and friends in the long run.

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