Activities of daily living
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Activities of daily living (ADL), is a way to describe the functional status of a person. It is a tool in the biopsychosocial model of medicine, and is useful for assessing the elderly, the mentally ill, those with chronic diseases, and others.
This is seen to include a number of components, though these are not strict rules.
Basic ADL
Can the person carry out fundamental activities of self-care. This includes activities such as bathing, feeding, going to the toilet, dressing, grooming and taking medication.
Mobility
Refers to a person's ability to move around, including: walking (independently or with the assistance of another person or a piece of equipment, such as a cane, walker), wheeling a wheelchair, being able to get in and out of their bed, bathtub, vehicle, etc
Instrumental ADL
This includes activities not necessary for fundamental functioning, but still very useful in a community. Cooking, shopping, housework and transport are in this category.
There are systems (such as the Katz ADL scale) that seek to quantify these functions and obtain a numerical value. These systems are useful for the prioritising of care and resources.
Generally though, these should be seen as rough guidelines for the assessment of a patient's ability to care for themselves.ja:ADL