Intermediate
Technical
In the Industry Vocabulary Test
Activities of Daily Living
Also written as: ADL — Activities of Daily Living
Basic self-care tasks used to assess functional independence in rehabilitation settings.
Full Definition
Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) are fundamental self-care tasks including bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, transferring, and continence. In rehabilitation medicine documentation, ADL assessments are standardized measures used to evaluate patient progress and determine care needs. These assessments form the basis for treatment planning and discharge decisions in rehabilitation facilities.
Usage
Usage note: Always capitalize when written out in full; plural form ADLs is standard in clinical documentation.
In Context
- "The patient demonstrated improvement in three of six Activities of Daily Living categories during the assessment period." — Rehabilitation progress note
- "ADL training will focus on adaptive techniques for bathing and dressing." — Treatment plan
Also known as
ADLs
self-care activities
basic living skills
Contrasted with
instrumental activities
advanced skills
Don't confuse with
Instrumental Activities of Daily Living