When to Get Help for Activities of Daily Living

The term Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) frequently comes up in conversations about senior home care. It is an important indicator of how well an older adult is functioning and a means of determining when it may be time to enlist the support of family, friends and in-home health care professionals.

What are the main ADLs?
ADLs are everyday activities related to personal care. They include:

Bathing or showering
Getting dressed
Getting in and out of bed, or up and down from a chair
Using the toilet
Eating

In addition, Instrumental ADLs are activities that require more complex thinking and organizational skills such as driving, shopping, cleaning house, cooking or managing household affairs.

A fully functioning person should be able to perform these tasks by themselves and without special equipment. If a person has difficulty performing an ADL or does not perform the activity at all because of health problems, the person may benefit from home care assistance.

How do I know if ADLs have become a problem?
Family and friends may start to notice changes in their loved one that indicate that ADLs are becoming more challenging, such as:

A disheveled appearance, bad breath or wearing the same clothes without laundering them
A messy house or spoiled food in the refrigerator
Falls or changes in mobility
Dents in the car

These are just a few examples of signs that help may be needed. In a clinical setting, health providers can more thoroughly evaluate someone on his or her ability to carry out ADLs; the Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living is one common assessment tool.

Getting help
Sometimes, modifications to a home environment or new approaches can make ADLs easier for seniors to do on their own. Enlisting the help of a qualified caregiver can also ensure that seniors receive the support they need to maintain a high level of independence and integrity at home.

Kadan Homecare’s personal care services include physical assistance with:

Bathing and Hygiene
Grooming and Dressing
Toileting and Incontinence Care
Mobility, Ambulation and Transfers
Meal Preparation and Feeding

For more information, or to talk with our team to assess if you or a loved one would benefit from home care in Atlanta, call 770-396-8997 or email info@kadan.org.

Dina Kadan White2022-11-01T13:18:59+00:00October 31st, 2022|

About the Author: Dina Kadan White

As Vice President of Kadan Homecare, White oversees the day-to-to day operations and assists with strategic planning for company. White has worked with Kadan full-time for the past 11 years, although she has been engaged with the family-run firm at some level for most of her adult life. Prior to joining Kadan, White served as Director of Product Development at Equifax and previously was a Marketing Director with Wachovia. These jobs prepared her well for a position where she works for the benefit of all aspects of this highly client-focused agency. White holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management from the Georgia Institute of Technology. She is a member of the National Private Duty Association, a membership organization for firms whose homecare model is to employ, train, monitor and supervise caregivers, create a plan of care for the client and work toward a safe and secure environment for the person at home. White is also a member of the National Association for Home Care and Hospice.