CHARLES Z. ARIOLA JR., MSN, LPT.

ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING

( ADL) are the activities
usually performed in the
course of a normal day in
the individual’s life such as
eating , working or brushing
the teeth.
 Maintaining safe environment :
 To achieve personal & domestic cleanliness & aimed at
decreasing the number of micro-organisms to maintain a
safe environment.
 Communication :
 Communication is the process of exchanging
thoughts, ideas, of feeling from one individual to
others.
 Verbal & non verbal communication

 Breathing :
 Inthe breathing process, the cell of the body
receives air,( oxygen ) essential for all the body
cells , without which human life will not exist.
 Eating &
drinking : essential activities of the daily living
 They are
 Human life cannot be sustained for all the body cells,
without eating & drinking.
 Many people in the world die daily due to starvation.
 Eliminating :
 Eliminating ( bath , urinary & faecal ) likes eating
& drinking is necessary & on integral activity of
everyday life, eliminating is regard as a highly private
activity.
 Personal cleansing & Dressing :
 Activities included are washing, bathing, care of hair,
nails ,teeth , mouth & clothing.
 Controlling body temperature :
 Regulation of body temperature is essential for
different
biological processcess.
 People have to avoid the hazards & discomfort of heat &
cold by varying the amount of clothing , regulating the
amount of physical activity, etc
 Mobilizing
:  Mobilizing
includes the movement produced by groups
of large muscles ( e.g. facial expression & gestures ).
 Working & Playing :
 Work & play are important for physical & mental
health.
 Expressing Sexuality / Reproduction :
 Style
of dress , physical appearance , & in many forms
of verbal & non –verbal communication are other
ways in which sexuality is expressed.
 Sleeping :
 Essential for healthy living
 The body process does not stop during sleep.
 All individual have periods of activity & sleep.

Spirituality :
 Spirituality
may include religion.
Religion is often characteristiced by
set forms of worships & codes of
conduct.
 Dying :

 Dying is also included in the activities of

living.
 It is the final act of living.
1. Physical factors :
 Body’s physical ability alters according to the
age. e.g. reduced physical ability in the old
age.
 The physical factor of the body has an
important influence on the individual’s
activities of daily living throughout the life.
 E.g. cardio pulmonary system with the ADL of
breathing , the musculo-skeletal system
with the ADL of mobilizing.
 Psychological factors :

 Intellectual aspects
 Emotional aspects
 Socio-cultural factors
 Environmental factors

 Politico- Economic factors :

 ADL by its norms.
 Knowledge of human needs helps nurses to :
1. Understand themselves, so that they can meet
their personal needs outside the health care
setting ,
E.g: maintenance of body temperature.
2. Set priorities as in giving care.
E.g.working & playing will assume a low
priornality during a period of critical illnss.
3.Better to understand patient’s behaviour so that
they can respond terapeutically rather than
emotionally
E.g. a patient putting on his signal light
repeatedly may convey the message of need
for safety.
4. Relieve the distress of patients
E. g. helping a patient to meet his unmet
need of love & affection.
5. To get used to all ages & in all health care
settings both at health & illness .it is an
approach for holistic nursing care.
6. Help client to develop & grow
E.g Nurse can help clients to move towards
self actualization by helping them to find
meaning on their illness experience.
7. Provide a frame work & be applied in the
nursing process at the individual & family
level.