Activities of daily living (ADLs) is a term used to collectively describe fundamental skills as well as essential and routine tasks that are required to independently care for oneself such as eating, bathing, and mobility.
The ability to compete with ADLs successfully and routinely is used as a measure of identifying someone’s ability to live independently, as the inability to accomplish essential activities of daily living may lead to unsafe conditions and reduced quality of life.
Assessing ADL is important to help ensure that those who require assistance are identified. MySense makes it easier for caregivers to track ADL’s through the notifications of changes around ADL’s such as hydration, toileting/personal care and activity around the home as well as checking what's happening in the users home through the daily diary and behaviour change reports.
The basic ADLs are broken down into the following categories:
- Ambulating: The extent of an individual’s ability to move from one position to another and walk independently.
- Feeding: The ability of a person to feed oneself.
- Dressing: The ability to select appropriate clothes and to put the clothes on.
- Personal hygiene: The ability to bathe and groom oneself and to maintain dental hygiene, nail and hair care.
- Continence: The ability to control bladder and bowel function
- Toileting: The ability to get to and from the toilet, using it appropriately, and cleaning oneself.
Source: Activities of Daily Living - Peter F. Edemekong; Deb L. Bomgaars; Sukesh Sukumaran; Shoshana B. Levy.