What Are Activities of Daily Living?

By Andy Niska | February 15, 2018 |

You hear the term activities of daily living frequently, but you’re not sure what they really are. Take a closer look at what caregivers mean when they use the term.

Home Care in Spokane WA: Activities of Daily Living

Activities of Daily Living Defined.

Activities of daily living are tasks people do each day without needing help. These are basic care tasks that make sure a senior is clean, fed, hydrated, and properly groomed.

For most people, they come naturally and are accomplished without a struggle. As you get older, they can be harder to complete without assistance. Muscle and joint pain, mental acuity, and physical strength can impact how well one can accomplish these activities.

Typical Activities of Daily Living.

There are six main activities of daily living. They are:

Eating and staying hydrated.
Bathing/showering.
Getting dressed in appropriate clothing for the temperature.
Maintaining bladder and bowel control.
Using a toilet and cleaning up after.
Walking and moving around.

While those are the main activities of daily living, there are other things that can impact a senior’s life. Not remembering to take medications is one. If there is a chronic health condition that requires medications to stay healthy, seniors need to be able to take those medications without forgetting to take them or accidentally taking too many.

Cutting toenails can become harder. If your parent can’t bend over, there’s a chance toenails will grow too long. The toenails may break and lead to cuts due to the sharp edges. The toenails may curl into nearby toes and lead to sores and potential infections.

Arranging transportation or driving to medical appointments, stores, and businesses is also important. While some seniors may be able to take a local bus, elderly men and women who live in rural areas will not have that option. Transportation may become an area where a senior needs help.

Your parents should also be able to change sheets and towels on a regular basis. Carrying laundry to the laundry room and running a wash load is also important. If your parent struggles to keep up with dirty laundry, caregivers can assist or take over that aspect of daily living.

Home Care Services Eliminate Struggles.

The process of aging can make it hard to complete activities of daily living independently. You and your parents weigh how often help is needed. If your mom has a hard time doing laundry, weekly home care may be enough. If your dad has a hard time cooking meals, daily care is ideal.

If you or an aging loved one are considering home care in Spokane, WA, please contact the friendly staff at Love at Home Senior Care, today. Call (509) 204-4088

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Andy Niska

Owner at Love In Home Senior Care

Andy has over 20+ years experience in the medical community and has a true compassion for seniors. With a degree in Health Care Administration, he developed a background in a variety of health care services that only comes from first hand experience. While working as a manager of a large clinic and as an account executive for medical suppliers. Andy has built valuable relationships with the medical community.

His role in Love In Home Senior Care is to educate people on what care choice is the best fit for the senior and their family while attempting to make this decision as stress-free as possible for everyone involved.

This decision making process should be smooth and stress free for everyone, including all family members and their loved ones. Having access to people with experience (like the team at Love In Home Senior Care) to assist you along the way can help this process. With an extensive background in health care, Andy has the experience needed to guide and direct your loved one to the choice that is the best fit.