Course Work

Subject : Rehabilitation Medicine (Disability &

Development)
Submitted To :
Dr. Md. Ibrahim Khalil Submitted By :
Associate Professor & Head, Md. Forhad
Department of Physiotherapy, Batch: 23
State College of Health Sciences. Id: HS-05-23-17-45
Department of Physiotherapy State College of Health Sciences.

Topic
Definition, Scope and importance of Activities of
Daily Living(ADLs).
Definition of ADL:
The activities of daily living (ADLs) is a term used to
collectively describe fundamental skills, which
required to independently care for oneself, such as
eating, bathing, and mobility. The term activities of
daily living was first coined by Sidney Katz in 1950.
(Bieńkiewicz et al 2014).
ADL is used as an indicator of a person’s functional
status. The inability to perform ADLs results in the
dependence of other individuals and/or mechanical
devices. The inability to accomplish essential
activities of daily living may lead to unsafe
conditions and poor quality of life. (Katz 1983)

Types of ADL
The activities of daily living are classified into,
1.Basic ADLs.
2.Instrumental ADLs.
Basic ADLs are,
- Walking
- Feeding
- Dressing
- Toileting
- Bathing
- Transferring etc.
Instrumental ADLs are,
- Transportation and Shopping
- Managing finances
- Shopping and meal preparation
- Housecleaning and home maintenance
- Managing communication . (Cahn-Weiner, Boyle
& Malloy 2002)

Scope :
Scope of service in ADL:
Daily living skills training : It is the provision
of education and skill development to teach
members the skills involved in performing
activities of daily living, including skills intended
to increase the member's independence and
participation in community life
Daily living skills training are education and skill
development activities that may include but are
not limited to increase in a member’s skill and
ability with:
• Personal hygiene
• Food preparation
• Home upkeep/maintenance
• Money management.
•accessing and using community resources
• Community mobility
• Parenting skills
• Safety/emergency skills training
• Time management/calendar skills. (Costenoble
et al. 2021)
Importance of ADL:
Functional status and the ability to care for oneself
have a significant impact on a senior’s quality of life.
Changes in ADLs can be caused by underlying medical
conditions, but failing to recognize these growing
needs can also contribute to a cycle of physical and
mental health problems. (Wong et al. 2019)
- Daily Living Activity Enable a person to carry out
his day to day activities with the least possible
external assistance and with safety.
- Help to be self-sufficient in all functional
activities.
- Develop confidence to enable to be socially
integrated.
- Develop healthy personal and family
relationships.
- Learn scientific management of self and home.
- Become aware of safety precautions to be taken in
the home, Become a well groomed person.
- Reduce dependence upon the care-takers.
- Expendite comprehensive rehabilitation including
economic independence.
- Develop a positive self image.
Unmet needs for help with activities of daily living can
lead to malnutrition, poor personal hygiene, isolation,
illnesses like urinary tract infections (UTIs) and falls.
In fact, studies have shown that ADL disabilities are
associated with an increased risk for mortality.
Ensuring a senior has the daily care they need can help
prevent new and worsening health issues, keep overall
costs down, and delay or eliminate the need for
institutional care. (Warmoth et al.
2018)

References :
1. Bieńkiewicz MM, Brandi ML, Goldenberg G,
Hughes
 CM, Hermsdörfer J. The tool in the brain: apraxia in
ADL. Behavioral and neurological correlates of
apraxia in daily living. Front Psychol. 2014;5:353.
2. Katz S. Assessing self-maintenance: activities of
daily living, mobility, and instrumental activities of
daily living. J Am Geriatr Soc. 1983 Dec;31(12):721-7.

3. Cahn-Weiner DA, Boyle PA, Malloy PF. Tests of

executive function predict instrumental activities of daily
living in community-dwelling older individuals. Appl
Neuropsychol. 2002;9(3): 187-91.
4. Costenoble A, Knoop V, Vermeiren S, Vella RA,
 Debain A, Rossi G, Bautmans I, Verté D, Gorus E, De
Vriendt P. A Comprehensive Overview of Activities of
Daily Living in Existing Frailty Instruments: A
Systematic Literature Search. Gerontologist. 2021 Apr
03;61(3):e12e22.
5. Wong MM, Pang PF. Factors Associated with Falls in
Psychogeriatric Inpatients and Comparison of Two Fall
Risk Assessment Tools. East Asian Arch Psychiatry.
2019 Mar;29(1):10-14.
6. Warmoth K, Tarrant M, Abraham C, Lang IA.
Relationship between perceptions of ageing and frailty
in English older adults. Psychol Health Med. 2018
Apr;23(4):465-474.