When elderly individuals consider moving into an assisted living facility, such as Country Home Assisted Living in Parker, Colo., a number of variables come into play. Among them is the individual’s ability to perform activities of daily living.
You’ve probably heard the phrase before, but maybe you aren’t sure what it means. Often referred to as ADLs, activities of daily living are basically self-care tasks – or the tasks people complete when getting up each day, such as showering, eating and going to the bathroom, or before going to bed each night.
They include, but are not limited to:
• Bathing or showering;
• Dressing;
• Performing personal hygiene and grooming, such as brushing teeth or combing hair;
• Eating;
• Transferring, such as getting in and out of a bed or a chair;
• Ambulating or walking;
• Toileting.
The ability to perform ADLs without assistance is linked directly to a person’s ability to live independently.
When an elderly person’s ability to complete these tasks starts to diminish, it may be time to consider looking at assisted living or an arrangement other than living independently. For some, it can mean staying at home with some in-home assistance. For others, it may mean a move to an assisted living community, such as Country Home in Parker.
If an assisted living facility is chosen, your elderly loved one will be given an assessment on the level of care that they need when they move to their new home. What this means is, they are evaluated on their ability to perform ADLs.
The evaluation can include everything from the person’s ability to bathe and dress, to psychosocial issues, such as whether the resident needs to be prompted to take medication or eat meals.
It’s an important part of the transition. It’s also an evaluation that should be done fairly frequently because people’s abilities can change. For some, they can get worse as they continue to age. For others, abilities can improve if they are recovering from a surgery or injury.
If you would like more information about ADLs or are looking at an assisted living facility in the South Denver metro area, please feel free to call or visit us at Country Home Assisted Living.
We can be reached at 303.840.1986. You also can make an appointment to visit us at our rural setting at 1425 Debbie Circle in Parker.