ADLs (Activities of Daily Living) and ADL Assessment

What Are Activities of Daily Living?

Activities of daily living (ADLs) are the essential tasks we carry out every day to look after ourselves and participate in our communities. Occupational therapists usually group these into two categories. Basic ADLs cover personal self-care such as showering, dressing, grooming, toileting, eating, and moving around the home. Instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) are the more complex tasks that support living independently, such as meal preparation, household tasks, managing finances, shopping, and using transport.

ADL stands for activity of daily living, and ADLs (sometimes written ADL's) is simply the plural. Basic ADLs are also called personal ADLs. Instrumental ADLs inside the home, such as cooking, cleaning and laundry, are sometimes called domestic ADLs, and those outside the home, such as shopping and appointments, community ADLs.

Occupational therapists and support coordinators usually shorten all of this to ADLs, and support with these tasks is often described as assisted daily living. The words vary; the activities do not. They remain personal care, meals, household tasks, mobility and community access.

When injury, disability, ageing, or a health condition makes these activities difficult, activities of daily living occupational therapy can help a person develop the skills, routines, and strategies needed to regain independence. The focus is always on the daily living tasks that matter most to each individual.

What Are ADLs in Aged Care?

In aged care, ADLs are the yardstick for how much help a person needs at home. Aged care assessors, providers and families talk about ADLs when someone starts to find showering, dressing, getting on and off the toilet, preparing meals or moving around the house harder than before. Changes in these tasks are often the first sign that extra support, equipment or a safer home set-up is needed. For a plain-English guide for families, read what ADLs mean in aged care.

Eligibility for government-funded aged care is decided through an assessment arranged by My Aged Care, not by an occupational therapist. An occupational therapist's role is different: an ADL assessment in the home looks closely at how each task is done, what makes it hard or unsafe, and what would help, such as a different technique, a shower chair or rail, or a change to the daily routine. The recommendations can be shared with the person's aged care provider.

Support at Home replaced the Home Care Packages and Short-Term Restorative Care programs on 1 November 2025, and occupational therapy is one of the clinical supports available under the program. Your aged care provider needs to confirm the service arrangements and available funding before therapy begins. For ongoing visits for older adults, see our in-home occupational therapy for older adults and our guide to Support at Home occupational therapy.

What Does Assisted Daily Living Mean?

Assisted daily living describes help with ADLs when a person can no longer manage a task safely on their own. That help can be hands-on support from a care worker, equipment that takes the strain out of a task, or a change to the home. An occupational therapist does not replace a care worker. The ADL assessment works out which tasks need assistance, which can be done independently with the right equipment or technique, and what level of support makes sense, so that help is targeted rather than guessed.

What an Activities of Daily Living Assessment Involves

An activities of daily living assessment is a structured evaluation by a registered occupational therapist that looks at how a person manages their everyday tasks. The ADL assessment is usually carried out in the person's own home so the therapist can see how they move through a real daily routine rather than a clinic setting. It combines interview, clinical observation, and standardised tools where appropriate.

A typical ADL assessment covers:

• Personal care - showering, dressing, grooming, and toileting
• Mobility and transfers - moving safely around the home and community
• Meal preparation - planning, cooking, and kitchen safety
• Household tasks - cleaning, laundry, and home management
• Community access - using public transport, shopping, and social participation
• Medication and health management routines
• Environmental barriers, falls risks, and home safety considerations
• ADL risk assessment - where a daily task creates a risk of falls, injury or strain, and what would reduce that risk

Where a broader picture of function is required, an ADL assessment may form part of a wider functional capacity assessment, which examines daily living, mobility, and participation across all relevant domains.

Areas Assessed in Daily Living

Personal care occupational therapy focuses on the self-care tasks people complete each day. Our occupational therapists look closely at how a person carries out personal care such as showering, dressing, and grooming, and at the instrumental tasks that keep a household running, including meal preparation, cleaning, and managing appointments. We also consider mobility, because safe movement underpins almost every daily living task; where walking, transfers or mobility aids are the concern, this can include an occupational therapy mobility assessment.

Assessing these areas in the home environment helps identify where small changes can make a meaningful difference, whether that is a different technique, a new routine, or equipment recommended through assistive technology occupational therapy or a home modification assessment.

Who Benefits from an ADL Assessment?

An activities of daily living assessment can support a wide range of people, including:

• NDIS participants who need evidence of daily living needs for a plan or plan review, including a SIL assessment
• Older adults experiencing age-related changes that affect safety and independence at home (see our guide to occupational therapy for the elderly at home)
• People with neurological conditions such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, or acquired brain injury
• People recovering from injury or surgery who need to rebuild daily living skills
• People living with mental health conditions where daily routines and self-care are affected
• Families and carers seeking a clear picture of the support a person needs day to day

Where daily living is changing because of ageing, ADL assessment often sits alongside falls prevention and home modifications occupational therapy so that the routine and the home are looked at together.

How Occupational Therapy Builds Independence in Daily Living

After the assessment, our occupational therapists work with the person to set meaningful goals and put practical strategies in place. Therapy is delivered in the home and community so skills are developed in the settings where they are actually used. We use task analysis, graded activities, and evidence-based techniques to build capacity over time. Spread across sessions, that graded practice is what is often called ADL retraining or daily living skills training: relearning a task in small steps rather than all at once.

Every person has different priorities. Our approach centres on the goals that matter most to each individual, whether that is preparing a meal independently, catching public transport, or managing a morning routine without assistance. We also recommend equipment and environmental changes where these can reduce effort, improve safety, and support independent daily living.

NDIS Capacity Building - Daily Activity

Activities of daily living occupational therapy is typically funded under the NDIS Capacity Building - Daily Activity budget. Our occupational therapists work with participants and their support coordinators to ensure therapy aligns with NDIS plan goals. We provide regular progress reports and plan review documentation. Follow-up sessions on strategies and routines can sometimes be held as online occupational therapy where your OT agrees it suits your goals.

• Funded under NDIS Capacity Building - Daily Activity
• Individualised goal setting and progress tracking
• Support for plan reviews and reporting

Activities of Daily Living FAQs

What are activities of daily living?

Activities of daily living (ADLs) are the everyday tasks we do to look after ourselves and live independently. Basic ADLs include personal care such as showering, dressing, grooming, toileting, and eating. Instrumental ADLs are more complex tasks such as meal preparation, household tasks, shopping, managing money, and using transport.

What does ADL stand for?

ADL stands for activity of daily living. ADLs are the everyday tasks a person does to look after themselves, such as showering, dressing, eating and moving around the home. Occupational therapists use the term to describe what a person manages on their own and where they need help.

What is ADL training?

ADL training, or ADL retraining, means practising an everyday task in small, graded steps with an occupational therapist, often alongside a new technique or piece of equipment, so the task becomes safer and easier to do in the person's own home.

What is an ADL assessment?

An ADL assessment is a structured evaluation by a registered occupational therapist of how a person manages their daily living tasks, from personal care to meal preparation and mobility. It is usually carried out in the home and combines interview, observation, and standardised tools to identify strengths, barriers, and the supports that would help.

Who needs an activities of daily living assessment?

People who find daily tasks difficult due to disability, ageing, injury, or a health condition can benefit from an activities of daily living assessment. It is also commonly requested for NDIS participants who need evidence of their daily living needs for a plan or plan review.

What are ADLs in aged care?

In aged care, ADLs are the everyday self-care tasks used to describe how much help an older person needs at home: showering, dressing, toileting, eating, grooming and moving around the home, along with tasks such as meal preparation and housework. A change in these tasks is often what prompts an aged care assessment or a review of support.

Can Support at Home fund an ADL assessment?

Occupational therapy is one of the clinical supports available under Support at Home. Whether an ADL assessment is covered depends on your approved services, so your aged care provider needs to confirm the funding and service arrangements before the assessment is booked.

Is an ADL assessment NDIS funded?

ADL assessment and therapy are typically funded under the NDIS Capacity Building - Daily Activity budget, or from Improved Daily Living supports. Support coordinators, plan managers, families, and self-managed participants can refer directly. You can submit a referral online at any time.

How does occupational therapy help with daily living?

Occupational therapy helps with daily living by assessing current abilities, setting meaningful goals, and teaching practical strategies and techniques. Therapists may also recommend assistive technology, home modifications, or changes to routines that make personal care, meal preparation, and household tasks safer and more manageable.

ADL Assessments Across Melbourne and Western Sydney

Ergo Therapy Group delivers activities of daily living occupational therapy and ADL assessments in people's homes across South-East Melbourne, Eastern Melbourne, Northern Melbourne, Western Melbourne, Inner Melbourne and Western Sydney. Our team will confirm whether your address is covered. To discuss an ADL assessment or how we can support you or a participant you work with, call us on 0450 874 303 or contact our admin team.