The Six Activities of Daily Living

Personal Senior Care – an overview of the Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL).

Comfort Home Care has provided in-home care for our clients in and around Montgomery County, MD, and Washington, D.C. since 1999.

While our focus is on elder care, we offer personal care assistance for anyone needing support including people recovering from illness, surgery, a fall, or discharge from hospital or rehab. Difficulties with the activities of daily living should not prevent you from living independently— our personal care team of professionals can allow you to age in place with grace.

All of our caregivers are professionally qualified and licensed as Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs), Geriatric Nursing Assistants (GNAs), or Home Health Aides (HHAs).

What Are the ADLs

There are 6 primary self-care tasks that we learn at a young age that become more challenging with age. The activities of daily living include:

	Eating – A healthy diet is essential to strengthen muscles and bones. We can help prepare delicious and nutritious meals, help with feeding, and clean up afterward.
	Bathing and Showering – It is extremely important for our clients who spend extended periods in their favorite chair or beds to ensure they get regular bathing. Proper and thorough cleaning avoids pressure ulcers (bed sores) from developing.
	Dressing – Our caregivers allow time for our clients to do as much as they can for themselves and allow them to select the clothes they are wearing for the day. If they can put clothing on but only need help with the buttons or tying their shoes, we give them time to do it their way and try to have multiple wardrobe choices available.
	Grooming and Hygiene – We help keep their smile bright and their breath fresh. We help our clients wash, shave and trim their hair. We make sure their nails are trimmed and clean. We will also provide skin and oral care.
	Mobility – Our Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs), Geriatric Care Assistants (GNA) and Home Health Aides (HHAs) assist with stretching, walking, and other light exercise programs designed to help retain muscle strength, decrease fall risks, decrease illnesses, and increase cognitive function and mental health.
	Toileting/Continence – We all need to use the toilet throughout the day. Our CNAs, GNAs, and HHAs are skilled at helping our clients get to and from the bathroom safely and with the respect and dignity they deserve.

Why Are ADLs and IADLs So Important?

A senior’s ability to manage these basic yet key life tasks represents their ability to live independently. Difficulties with ADLs, whether one or many, will determine how much supervision or hands-on care an individual needs.

Problems with ADLs usually indicate a decline in physical health and/or cognitive health. Recognizing a decline will help the senior and their caregiver(s) adjust and overcome difficulties.

It is important to share any noticeable changes with the doctor and care team. This will help the team uncover the root cause of the changes and help devise an accurate care plan.

Take our free ADL needs assessment.

What Are the IADLs

While the ADLs are the basic personal activities you perform daily, IDLs (instrumental activities of daily living) are the activities you perform for yourself, your family, and your home. They are more complex activities requiring more critical thinking and organization.

IADLs are tasks we start to learn as teenagers and become part of our daily/monthly routine as adults. They include driving a car, managing a household (cleaning, maintenance, repairs, and finances), personal care (doctors’ appointments, testing, and medications), and feeding ourselves (meal planning, shopping, meal prep, and cooking).

Comfort Home Care’s senior care team assists our clients with:

	Transportation: Mobility and reaction times diminish as we age. Add in failing memories and a once routine shopping trip or trips to the doctor’s office can become frustrating and dangerous. Your elder care team can provide transportation to run daily errands, shopping trips, and doctor visits.
	Light Housekeeping: A cluttered home can lead to broken bones due to a fall. A dirty home can lead to illnesses and depression. Your senior care team will help keep the living areas clear of debris from the floor and stairs, will clean the kitchen after meals, and wipe up spills in the bathroom.
	Nutrition: It’s important for your senior to eat nutritious foods. Our caregiver(s) will accompany your senior to the grocery store, help them plan and prep their meals, as well as cook and clean up afterward. Learn more about What Food is Good for Brain Health. As dehydration is one of the most frequent causes of hospitalization among seniors, our caregivers encourage our clients to drink throughout the day.
	Managing Medications: Your care team will work with your senior care team to understand the types and frequency of medications. We remind our clients to take their medications and can assist with picking them up from the pharmacy.
	Managing Communications: We remind our clients to open their mail, pay their bills, and check their emails.

Partnering with Comfort Home Care

Choosing in-home care services for seniors is a significant decision. Comfort Home Care empowers seniors and their families to make an informed decision regarding in-home care for seniors by providing a complimentary evaluation. The evaluation includes:

1. An in-home care evaluation for seniors and their families in and around Montgomery County, MD, and Washington, D.C. Conducted by one of our Registered Nurses (RNs) the evaluation determines the levels of care needed, specific requirements, and individual goals for the care plan.
2. Following the initial evaluation, our RN will create a customized care plan, with the client’s medical team, that encompasses the physical and psychosocial needs of the senior receiving care.
3. Using the information from the evaluation and the in-home care plan, we match a care provider with your loved one. This care professional will ensure your senior is happy, safe, and at ease. Our decades of experience have shown us that well-placed matches help our clients thrive and develop a positive bond with our compassionate in-home care Aides. We become an extension of their family.

Request a Free In-Home Care Evaluation Today

Comfort Home Care is renowned for providing positive experiences for seniors and caregivers in and around Montgomery County, MD, and Washington, D.C. If you or a senior loved one is interested in our in-home care services, contact us today to discuss an in-home care evaluation.