Activities of Daily Living

Activities of daily living (ADLs) are the routine tasks people perform on a daily basis to participate in daily life. Activities of daily living may be further classified into basic activities of daily living (BADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs). BADLs are the tasks required to take care of one’s body, including bathing or showering, toileting, dressing, eating, hygiene, and grooming. IADLs are activities that support participation in daily life, including caregiving, driving, managing one’s finances, health management, home management, and meal preparation.

Health disciplines such as occupational and physical therapy consider ADLs as main focal points of their practice. In behavioral disciplines such as psychology, ADLs are typically subsumed under the category of adaptive behavior. Specifically, the adaptive behavior domain of practical skills ...

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