ADL Assessment: Understanding Daily Living Needs for Seniors

According to the Journal of Surgery and Medicine, around 30% of all seniors suffer a fall at least once a year. This is a frightening - and potentially dangerous - occurrence but does it mean it's time to consider moving to a Venice senior community? Does the senior in your life need extra help and support or was this a simple accident?

These are questions easily answered with the help of an ADL assessment.

We go through everything you need to know about ADLs (activities of daily living) and how to assess them down below. Keep reading to learn how to make the right care decision for the senior in your life!

What Are the Activities of Daily Living?

The term ADL has been in use since 1950. It encompasses the activities a person needs to do to fulfill all of their basic needs on a day-to-day basis. When a person is unable to achieve these activities, their quality of life suffers.

The main basic ADLs include:

• Eating: Being able to use utensils to eat food without assistance
• Transferring: Being able to move from one place to another without help, such as in and out of bed or up a flight of stairs
• Grooming: Being able to maintain hygienic practices, such as washing, brushing teeth, combing hair, or trimming nails
• Continence: Being able to control the bladder and bowels
• Toileting: Being able to use the toilet without help, as well as being able to do so with cleanliness and control

As we age, our ability to do these activities can begin to dwindle. Knowing the basic ADLs to look for can help with conducting a living evaluation about when to make the move toward a senior community.

Difference Between Basic and Instrumental Activities

There's another set of senior care needs that you'll want to keep in mind. The basic activities listed above are simple tasks that are paramount to the overall health, safety, and happiness of a senior.

Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) can be as important to living a fulfilling life but encompass more complex activities. These activities include activities such as:

• Managing medication
• Making appointments
• Finances
• Staying physically active
• Grocery shopping
• Cooking
• Laundry
• Maintaining a clean living space

Both terms are interconnected. When you notice an issue with one, there's likely a similar issue with the other.

When to Think About ADL Assessment

A small mishap during a beloved Venice activity is often not a cause for concern, no matter how much you might worry. The time to think about an ADL assessment is when those small mishaps become bigger problems or they happen with increasing frequency.

Another time for assessment is when a significant health change occurs. With a change in a senior's overall health, it's good to do another functional assessment to see if they're still capable of achieving the activities they need to live a full and safe life.

ADL Assessment Methods

It can feel overwhelming to think about quantifying these kinds of basic activities, but different methods can guide you through the process. Each one does a similar job but varies in details and criteria.

Katz Index

Although it's the most simple of methods on this list, it's also one of the most popular. It presents you with a checklist outlining all of the six basic ADLs and two columns for yes or no.

As you go through the list, you'll answer if the senior in question can achieve the ADL or not. If yes, then that section receives no points. If the senior isn't able to do the ADL without assistance, they receive one point for that section.

If the test ends with a high score, you can see right away that extra support could be a huge benefit.

Klein-Bell Scale

This test works in the same way as the Katz Index - you'll fill it out with yes or no and accumulate points depending on the answer. The biggest difference is that this one uses a larger and more detailed list.

It takes longer to complete and can be overwhelming at first, but it can help fine-tune results if other tests leave you feeling uncertain.

Bristol Scale

This test is often the go-to choice when memory issues begin to show. It's a test comprised of 20 questions that go through both ADLs and IADLs.

Scoring is based on a 1-3 scale, and - unlike the others on our list - when the result is low, it indicates that the person is incapable of being safely independent.

Contacting Your Doctor

Few people will have as detailed an idea of a senior's level of self-sufficiency as their medical doctor. If you ever feel overwhelmed by ADL assessments or scales and indexes, contact your doctor and ask them for guidance.

They can point you in the right direction or even give their professional opinion.

Choosing a Harmonious Senior Community

Regardless of which assessment method you choose, each gives you a clear list of assisted living criteria that can lead seniors to make a lifestyle choice. The key is to find the kind of senior community that works with the level of support you need.

Some communities offer only assisted living options, while others have independent living for seniors who require less hands-on support.

Investigate the community amenities and how they line up with your tastes, needs, and desires.

After you do an ADL assessment, make sure to take the time to figure out the kind of help you need. Going to the wrong type of community can lead to resentment and discomfort.

Find ADL Assistance in Venice With Aston Gardens at Pelican Pointe

If the ADL assessment points toward the need for more support in a senior's life, you'll want to pick a local community that you can trust.

Aston Gardens at Pelican Pointe, a thriving senior community in Venice, FL, can offer seniors the level of ADL assistance they need. We'll work with you to figure out the right kind of care plan to make sure you're safe and healthy without taking away your independence.

With an experienced and passionate team, we can help you find a new lifestyle that feels fulfilling without unnecessary risks. Contact us today, and we can start planning together right away!