Chapter 9 · How much help is actually needed
Activities of Daily Living (ADL) & Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) Assessment
Before you can plan care — or price it, or ask for it — you need an honest picture of what your loved one can do alone, what they can do with someone nearby, and what they can't do without hands-on help. Clinicians, agencies, and benefit programs all speak in these terms.
Fill in what you know, skip what you don't
There are no wrong answers. Come back and edit this chapter anytime — especially after a doctor visit or when the routine changes.
What to do
- 1Rate each task as it is on an ordinary day, not their best day.
- 2Mark standby support when supervision prevents a fall or a mistake.
- 3Re-do this after any hospital stay — needs shift quickly.
- 4Bring it to agency intake calls; it shortens the conversation.
Level of assistance
Independent means no help at all. Standby means someone nearby. Full assistance means hands-on.
Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)
Personal care — the basics of getting through a day.
- Eating
- Ambulation / walking
- Getting in and out of bed or a chair
- Dressing
- Bathing
- Toileting
- Personal hygiene
Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs)
The tasks that make independent living possible.
- Medication management
- Shopping
- Meal preparation
- Housekeeping
- Laundry
- Communication (phone / computer)
- Managing personal affairs
- Managing personal finances
- Transportation