Quick Answer
Activities of daily living (ADLs) are learned activities that each person performs to live a normal life.
Detailed Answer
Activities of daily living (ADLs) include our most basic learned tasks and abilities. There are six key activities of daily living.
These six ADLs are:
- Bathing
- Continence
- Dressing
- Eating
- Toileting
- Transferring
You may be familiar with most of the activities on this list, but here’s a quick overview of the lesser-known ADLs.
Continence is the learned ability to control the bladder and bowel.
Transferring is the ability to move from standing to sitting positions and vice versa.
Long-term health care centers around helping people with ADLs. In fact, to receive Long-Term Care Insurance benefits, a doctor must confirm you need either stand-by or hands-on assistance with two or more ADLs.
Hands-on assistance means a health care professional may need to physically help with ADLs. This can include physical help dressing or a hand to hold or lean on while moving from standing to sitting positions.
Stand-by assistance means a health care professional needs to be in the room or nearby while performing ADLs. Stand-by assistance is also common for individuals with cognitive decline or impairment. These individuals may need to be monitored in case they get confused or begin to endanger themselves.
LTC News Trusted & Verified
Work With a Trusted Specialist
Get Accurate Long-Term Care Insurance Quotes
- Has substantial experience in Long-Term Care Insurance
- Strong understanding of underwriting, policy design, and claims experience
- Represents all or most of all the leading insurance companies
