Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)
Also called “areas of occupation”, ADLs include all activities of daily life that have value and particular meaning for a person as well as a purpose.
Types of activities of daily living
The occupations are central to a person’s identity and abilities, and influence the way in which one uses her/her time and makes decisions.
Basic Activities
Activities related to self care.
- Bathing /showering.
- Bowel and bladder management.
- Dressing.
- Eating.
- Feeding.
- Functional mobility.
- Personal device care.
- Personal hygiene and grooming.
- Sexual activity.
- Sleep / Rest.
- Toilet hygiene.
Instrumental activities
IADLs are activities involving interaction with the surrounding areas and environment, which often times are complex, and are generally optional activities as they can be delegated to others.
- Care of pets.
- Child rearing.
- Communication device use.
- Community mobility.
- Financial management.
- Health management and maintenance.
- Home establishment and management.
- Meal preparation and cleanup.
- Safety procedures and emergency responses.
- Shopping.
Education
These activities are necessary to be a student and to participate in an educational environment.
- Formal educational participation.
- Exploration of informal personal educational needs or interests (beyond formal education).
- Informal personal education participations.
More than 10,000 cognitive stimulation activities for professionals
Work
These activities are necessary to obtain gainful employment or to perform volunteer activities.
- Employment interest and pursuits.
- Employment seeking and acquisition.
- Job performance.
- Retirement preparation and adjustment.
- Volunteer exploration.
- Volunteer participation.
Play
They are spontaneous or organized activities that provide enjoyment, entertainment, pastime, or amusement.
- Play exploration.
- Play participation.
Leisure
Activities that are not mandatory, but rather they are chosen voluntarily and performed during a time that does not conflict with time dedicated to obligatory occupations like work, personal care or sleep.
- Leisure exploration.
- Leisure participation.
Social Participation
Activities associated with the organization of behavioral patterns that are characteristic and expected in individual or collective interaction with others within a given social system.
- Community.
- Family.
- Peer, friend.
Activities of Daily Living News, Articles:
Instrumental activities of daily living: what they are, types and examples
Activities of daily living are those activities that increase a person’s independence and adaptation to the environment. There are three types of activities of daily living: basic, instrumental and advanced activities of daily living. What are instrumental activities of daily living? Instrumental activities of daily living are activities oriented towards interaction with the environment that…
Continue Reading Instrumental activities of daily living: what they are, types and examples
Basic activities of daily living: intervention for improving dressing performance with NeuronUP
According to the framework developed by the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) (1), activities of daily living are activities oriented toward taking care of one’s own body.
Activities of Daily Living (ADLs): Definition, classification and exercises for kids and adults
Do you know what activities of daily living are? Do you know the difference between basic and instrumental activities of daily living? Do you know how to improve ADLs? In today’s post, we explain what activities of daily living are, their classification, and also recommend several exercises for improving them.