Activities of Daily Living: Checklists & Assessments

When it comes time for adult children to care for their aging parents, it’s helpful to have proper guidelines in place to make the process of determining the parent’s needs smooth and easy for everyone involved.

It’s important first that everyone recognizes the person’s abilities, both mental and physical, when developing a care plan or making a referral plan for him or her. This way, the appropriate type and level of assistance can be administered. This can also help the family understand who can best provide that care — whether it be family members, in-home care or an independent or assisted living community. Though it can be difficult, it’s crucial that all parties involved be honest with themselves about the level of their love ones’ abilities to ensure their overall and ongoing health and safety.

Activities of Daily Living Checklist

In addition to the daily functions above, the following checklist can help families further determine their loved ones’ mentally capacity and capabilities beyond basic self-care.

Additional Daily Functions Checklist

Having these guidelines can help a family understand the most appropriate level of care their aging parents are in need of so they can ensure they are living their best quality of life.