Common daily activities

Activities of daily living (ADL). It divides into two main areas – personal (pADL) and instrumental (iADL). ADLs are usually well experienced and may take the form of rituals. ADLs are highly variable, depending on age, developmental stage, gender, role, culture, religion,…

Personal ADL
They include activities that relate to self-care.


 * Hygiene – washing (soaping, rinsing), brushing teeth (mastering denture care, using a toothbrush, dental floss, mouthwash, interdental brush), shaving, combing and styling hair, using a hair dryer, curling iron and hair iron; applying deodorant, using cosmetics (make-up, mascara, lipstick, cream,...), removing make-up, drying with a towel, taking care of glasses/contact lenses and hearing aids, taking care of nails or ears
 * Dressing – preparing clothes, putting on clothes in the right order, mastering different types of fastening (buttons, zips, snaps,...), choosing suitable clothes according to temperature, weather, occasion; selection of suitable accessories, tying a tie, manipulation of a hernia belt, orthosis
 * Transfers – from wheelchair/to wheelchair, to bed
 * Eating and drinking - food preparation (greasing, peeling, scraping, cutting,...), consumption (using cutlery, bringing food to mouth), drinking (opening/closing a bottle, carrying a glass/mug), operating kitchen appliances, taking medication
 * Toileting - handling clothing, using toilet paper, bidet, menstrual aids, incontinence aids, hand hygiene

Instrumental ADL
Activities that involve wider self-sufficiency.


 * Mobility – planning a route, driving in public transport, handling a ticket (appropriate selection, purchase, marking), orientation in the timetable, driving a car
 * Handling money – using a credit card, budgeting, paying bills (receipt, invoice, standing order,…), recognizing coin values
 * Housekeeping - cleaning (sweeping, washing dishes, dusting, handling cleaning products), caring for flowers and pets, laundry (sorting, hanging), ironing, mending laundry, maintaining household appliances, tending the garden, changing diapers
 * Use of communication technologies – telephone (calling, writing SMS), computer (using e-mail, social networks)
 * Shopping – handling a shopping cart, preparing a shopping list

ADL assessment
Several assessment tools are used to assess ADL


 * A-ONE
 * Barthel index
 * AMPS
 * FIM
 * Katz index
 * Lawton index