Activities of Daily Living (ADL)

Home Occupational Therapy Activities of Daily Living (ADL)
Using a Sock Aid

Services for Living Your Daily Life

Taylor Physical Therapy’s occupational therapy services are designed to treat a variety of disorders related to physical, cognitive, perceptual, and developmental disabilities regardless of age.

Learn More About Occupational Therapy

Whether you need short-term therapy to recover from an injury or need to learn skills to help you live with a prolonged condition, occupational therapist at Taylor Physical Therapy can help. Fill out the form below to learn more.


ADLs and IADLs 

One standard for defining the areas of Activities of Daily Living is the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework, which defines ADLs as "activities that are oriented toward taking care of your own body." These activities are broken down into different areas such as:

  • Bathing, showering, toileting, and toilet hygiene
  • Dressing, personal hygiene, and grooming  
  • Eating, swallowing, feeding (feeding refers to setting up, arranging and bringing food to the mouth) 
  • Functional mobility (getting from place to place while performing ADLs, such as getting into the tub, getting out of bed, moving from room to room. Functional mobility can refer to getting from place to place under your own power or with the assistance of a wheelchair or other assistive device.)
  • Personal device care (utilizing personal care items: hearing aids, contact lenses, glasses, orthotics, walker, etc.) 

Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs) refer to activities that support daily life and are oriented toward interacting with your environment. IADLs are typically more complex than ADLs. They are important components of home and community life but can be easily delegated to another person, examples include:

  • Care of Others
  • Care of Pets
  • Communication Management
  • Driving and Community Mobility
  • Financial Management
  • Health Management and Maintenance
  • Home Establishment and Management
  • Meal Preparation and Clean Ups
  • Religious and Spiritual Activities and Expressions
  • Safety Procedures and Emergency Responses
  • Shopping

Offered at all 5 clinic locations.

 

 


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ADLs (Activities of Daily Living) Retraining/Education - 

Denver, Parkersburg and Waverly clinics

Activities of daily living comprise all of the personal day to day tasks one typically does on a routine basis, such as bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, eating, and completing functional transfers.  Sometimes with age, or due to an injury or illness, these routine tasks can become more difficult.  This is when occupational therapy can help!

  • Occupational therapy works with the patient to identify specific needs/deficits in ADL routine
  • Provide education and adaptive techniques to increase independence and ease of completing everyday tasks such as: bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting
  • Education and/or practice utilizing adaptive equipment
  • Education on safety techniques to utilize during ADL routine

Offered at all 5 clinic locations.


Filling a Pill Box

IADLs (Instrumental Activities of Daily Living) - 

Denver, Parkersburg and Waverly clinics

  • Occupational therapy can offer recommendations and education regarding adaptive equipment for home use as well as home modifications to enable you to remain in your home as long as possible
  • Occupational therapy can provide a comprehensive home assessment to identify the specific needs of your home/living environment to increase safety and independence
  • Occupational therapy can provide education and adaptive strategies for safe and independent completion of daily activities in the home such as:
    • Medication management
    • Meal preparation
    • Community participation
    • Home maintenance activities such as laundry and housework

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High-Level ADL Assessment / Driving Off-Road Assessment (DORA)

Taylor Physical Therapy offers two valuable services, the High-Level Activities of Daily Living Assessment (High-Level ADL Assessment) and Driver Off-Road Assessment (DORA), at the Waverly Health Center!

The High-Level Activities of Daily Living Assessment: The High-Level ADL Assessment is completed by an occupational therapist and evaluates multiple tasks of daily living that adults must complete to live independently such as medication and finance management. A high-level cognitive screen, memory testing, and lower extremity driving reaction time is also included. After completing the comprehensive report, the occupational therapist will send the findings to the referring provider who will then follow up and offer recommendations for the patient. The High-Level ADL Assessment is covered by most insurances if an appropriate supporting diagnosis is present on referral.

Driver Off-Road Assessment (DORA): The DORA is a driving specific evaluation tool completed by an occupational therapist; however, it is not a driving assessment. This tool will include a lower extremity reaction time evaluation in addition to a sensory assessment, proprioception screen, lower extremity physical evaluation and cognitive assessment. After administering the DORA, the occupational therapist will share the result with the patient and family, allowing the patient and family to determine appropriate follow up or changes in driving status. Since this assessment is not covered by insurance, cash payment will be expected at the time of service.

                                                         High-Level ADL AssessmentDriver Off-Road Assessment
Who completes the evaluation?Occupational Therapist

Occupational Therapist

Who is the perfect patient?

An individual, with cognitive and/or memory impairment or decline, who is looking for feedback to help determine if their current living situation matches their skills, and if there is a way to increase safety at home or on the road.

An individual seeking information related to driving skills and who may need a report sent to their doctor for DOT clearance to resume driving.
Who pays for the evaluation?Some insurances with appropriate documentation and diagnosisSelf-pay by the patient
What is examined during the evaluation?Medication management, finance management, high-level cognitive screen, visual attention and task switching, memory testing, visual-perceptual skills, and lower extremity reaction time.Medical screen, sensory assessment including hearing and vision, proprioception screen, physical assessment, cognitive assessment, and lower extremity reaction time testing.
Where can it be completed?Waverly Health CenterWaverly Health Center
Is a referral from a physician required? YesNo

 

           

Margo Jebe OTR/L                           Bailie Schipper OTR/L 

Taylor Therapy's team of compassionate occupational therapists are equipped with the skills and knowledge to complete both the High-Level ADL and DORA. Their patient-orientated and detailed disposition will ensure the individual feels comfortable participating in the assessment and that the comprehensive report is completed in a timely fashion. Please contact Taylor Therapy at the Waverly Health Center with questions or to schedule an evaluation!

 

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