Activities of Daily Living

Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) refer to certain basic daily tasks necessary to maintain a person's health and safety. A person is considered unable to perform ADLs if he or she requires the physical assistance of another person to perform the activities. If a person is unable to perform two or more ADLs, then he or she can apply for benefits.

Under the LivingCare policy, ADLs are:

Bathing – the ability to wash, either by sponge bath, including the task of getting into or out of the tub or shower.
Continence – the ability to maintain control of bowel or bladder function, or the ability to perform associated personal hygiene (including caring for a catheter or colostomy bag).
Dressing – the ability to put on and take off clothing, and any medically necessary braces, fasteners or artificial limbs.
Eating– the ability to get food, after it has been prepared for you, into the body from a receptacle (such as a plate or cup).
Transferring – the ability to move into or out of bed, chair or wheelchair.
Toileting – the ability to get to and from the toilet, get on and off the toilet, and to perform associated personal hygiene.

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