Aids for Activities of Daily Living

Aids for activities of daily living (AADLs) are products, devices, and equipment used within everyday functional activities. They are commonly included as a category of assistive technology. Other common terms for AADLs include adaptive equipment, ADL equipment, self-care equipment/aids, basic assistive technology, rehabilitation equipment or technology, and low technology.

The focus and purpose of these technologies are to adapt the environment, rather than the person, to support identified needs, choice, and control. These products may be used to compensate for impairments and functional limitations or to augment or assist in task performance, such as enabling quicker, safer, or more efficient performance of everyday activities. Products may address vision, hearing, fine and gross motor, sensory, proprioceptive, cognitive, communication, safety, and learning needs.

[Page 85]AADLs include a wide range of devices. Potential categories of equipment may span, but are not limited to, eating and meal preparation, grooming, bathing and showering, dressing, transferring, mobility, writing and basic communication, environmental control, home management, phone use, time management, organization and scheduling, money management, shopping, leisure/recreation/play, community living, and school and work activities. Common examples include tub benches, reachers, large-print or talking devices, and adapted utensils or utensil/tool holders that can be used across many activities.

AADLs are often distinguished from other assistive technologies as low, simple, or basic technology. However, this conceptualization can be misleading in that there is an increasing, rapidly changing pool of products and features from which to choose; many involve electronic components (e.g., phone systems); some involve custom fabrication or fitting to meet the specific person-task-environment demands (e.g., fabrication of a custom orthotic to hold a variety of everyday utensils); and in most cases, AADLs need to be considered as part of an accommodation package involving complex integration and environmental fit issues. For instance, AADLs are often combined with physical and social environment adaptations and strategies. An example is that commonly used ADL equipment in the bathroom includes tub benches/seats, long-handled reachers, raised toilet seats, and extended shower controls. These products are often used in combination with environmental modifications such as grab bars, roll-in or seated shower stall modifications, nonglare lighting, nonslip flooring, and offset temperature controls and sensors, which are then coupled with a set of individually customized strategies to manage and troubleshoot bathroom activities on a routine basis, such as strategies for transferring safely and efficiently.

Previously, AADLs were available only through medical or rehabilitation professionals, most commonly occupational and physical therapists, and required a physician's prescription to obtain and fund them through third-party reimbursement sources such as Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurance. Although rehabilitation remains a primary source for AADLs in the United States, particularly if third-party reimbursement is sought, the market for and availability of this equipment has broadened significantly. Given the functionality of these devices, many are now built into new homes and community environments and are widely available in department stores, consumer product catalogs, and Internet-based vendor sites. With the universal design movement, AADLs are being constantly redesigned and updated to increase their ease of use, efficiency, and ergonomics in response to the growing disability and aging consumer markets. As an example, the line of Good Grip products by OXO International, and other similar product lines on the market, represent a growing line of AADLs that not only support everyday activity but also look and feel good when using them, thus increasing their appeal and lowering their cost given the widespread market base. Thus, many types of AADLs are no longer considered “assistive,” but rather are perceived as common tools and are available to the general public.

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