Supporting Independence with Personal Care in Shillington, PA
Personal care is defined as the need for assistance with daily living. Activities of Daily Living, or “ADLs” are a series of basic activities necessary for independent living at home or within the community, and are performed daily. There are many variations on the definition of ADLs, but most organizations agree there are five primary categories, listed here:
- Personal hygiene – bathing/showering, grooming, nail care, and oral care.
- Dressing – being able to make appropriate clothing decisions and physically dress and undress oneself.
- Eating – the ability to feed oneself, though not necessarily the capability to prepare food.
- Maintaining continence – being able to mentally and physically use a restroom. This includes the ability to get on and off the toilet and clean oneself.
- Transferring/Mobility- the ability to stand from a sitting position and get in and out of bed. The ability to move independently from one location to another either independently or using a device such as a walker or a wheelchair.
What are Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs)?
IADLs (Instrumental activities of daily living) are not necessary for fundamental functioning, but they allow individuals to live independently in their community and include more complex independent living tasks like
- Cleaning and maintaining a home
- Managing money
- Preparing meals
- Shopping for groceries and other necessities
- Using the telephone, computer, or other forms of communication
- Managing Medications
- Transportation
How are ADLs and IADL’s Used in Senior Living, Assisted Living and Personal Care settings?
Together, ADLs and IADLs make up the skills a person generally needs to successfully and safely live independently. The ability or inability to perform ADLs and IADLs determines the need for care services such as occupational or physical therapy and more.
When completing patient assessments, Administrators and Wellness Directors establish a support plan based on the resident’s needs with their ADLs and IADLs. In addition, to offset the costs of assisted living, eligible residents may choose to apply for Veteran’s Benefits or long-term care benefits. In most cases, the retirement community or service provider must perform two to three ADLs for the benefit to be approved.
Choosing the appropriate level of care for your loved one is an important choice. At The Care Center at The Heritage of Green Hills, we help people just like you understand their options and find the right fit. If you’d like to learn more, click the link below or call us at 484.709.1035.
