What Are the Seven IADLs?

If your senior loved one wishes to continue to live at home alone, you may be wondering how they will handle all of the responsibilities around the house. Can they take care of everything and maintain their safety? Will they forget to do things that are important? What tasks are non-negotiable? The things we all must do to manage our lives are called Instrumental Activities of Daily Living, or IADLs, and while many seniors have good intentions about keeping them up, over time they may become overwhelming. Knowing what these tasks are can help you determine when it’s time to bring in home care assistance for support. 

Here are the 7 Instrumental Tasks of Daily Living:

1. Bill Paying

Some older adults find it hard to keep track of their bills and pay them on time. Paying bills online is especially challenging, as they spent decades writing and mailing a check or going to an office and paying in person.

They may need help collecting their mail and sorting out legitimate bills from scams. Setting up online bill pay or paying online is difficult and requires a helping hand. A caregiver can help with this if you don’t have time to.

2. Groceries and Errands

Your mom cannot create a shopping list on her own anymore. She can’t remember what she has and what she doesn’t, and she forgets things as she checks her cupboards and fridge.

When she gets to the store, she struggles to get things on higher shelves, and carrying bags to her car is tough. She shouldn’t even be driving anymore.

Errands are also hard for her. She can’t carry bulky or heavy packages, and she has a hard time moving things from her cart to her car. Your mom would love to have someone help her run errands.

3. Housework

Routine housekeeping chores are getting harder to manage. Your mom cannot carry the vacuum upstairs to the bedrooms. She struggles to balance the vacuum when cleaning her stairs.

Dusting may be easy enough for her, but how about making her bed and changing her sheets? Can she wash dishes correctly or is her vision diminishing and making her miss dirty specks?

Laundry days are tough. Carrying a heavy hamper downstairs to a laundry room is something she cannot safely manage. If she’s finding it difficult to go up and down her stairs to the basement laundry room, where many washers and dryers are located, it’s time to arrange caregivers for laundry days.

4. Meal Preparation

Can your mom cook meals or does she rely on canned soups and frozen meals? If she’s having a harder time planning weekly menus, preparing ingredients, and cooking meals on time, consider having home care assistance available to cook her meals and snacks.

5. Medication Reminders

Without someone helping her keep track of the time, your mom forgets to take doses of her prescription medications. She forgets how to take pills as some require an empty stomach and others need to be taken with a meal. A caregiver can help her keep track of the differences.

6. Scheduling

When it comes to scheduling HVAC system cleanings, dental exams, doctor’s appointments, and haircuts, your mom just cannot remember. She’s not good at scheduling if the system is set up online or through an automated phone system. Her caregiver can help out.

7. Transportation

Finally, your mom isn’t supposed to drive. She has to rely on you to take time off work, and that’s interfering with your work schedule and personal life. You could have caregivers drive your mom to her appointments or to area stores and businesses.

Now is the time to call a home care assistance specialist and schedule caregiver visits for your mom. Call a home care specialist and go over the things your mom needs to maintain her independence and learn more about how much these services cost.