Activities and Aids to Daily Living Overview

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Ernest Rosenbaum, MD

Ernest Rosenbaum, MD, is Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San...read more

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Supportive Homecare

Activities and Aids to Daily Living Overview

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Prolonged inactivity produces loss of muscle strength and coordination, and can contribute to depression. It is not only enervating, but can produce crises in your attitude and decrease your ability to function. Often mental problems can be overcome with a positive attitude, and this can be sustained by increasing your ability to take care of yourself.

Attention to self-care and daily living skills, such as brushing your teeth, shaving, combing your hair, getting dressed, etc., serves a threefold purpose: it increases your ability to perform these activities and at the same time provides overall muscle toning and increases your range of motion.

Performing as many self-care tasks as possible will also help you develop independence and self-esteem. Feeling dependent on others can be defeating, and a certain satisfaction can be gained from setting objectives in life and accomplishing them. Recovering from an illness or injury is certainly one of these accomplishments.

The degree of physical effort required for self-care tasks can be considered in terms of graduated levels, based on the degree of mobility and energy expenditure required. Feeding yourself requires the least amount of effort; when you are stronger you will be able to graduate to hygiene and grooming, followed by bathing and dressing. Your final goal is to return to your former activities as fully as possible.

Many assistive devices are available to help you retrain yourself, making certain tasks more organized and easier to accomplish. You must conserve energy, using it appropriately to achieve both short-term and long-term goals. In addition, you want to be concerned about safety. When you are tired and weak, it is all too easy to have an accident that could injure you and retard your recovery.

Assistive Devices

An assistive device compensates for your physical limitations and makes it easier for you to take care of yourself more comfortably and more safely. It can be as simple as a long-handled bathbrush or as complex as a wheelchair. They can be obtained from medical and surgical supply stores. Your hospital will also have names of supply companies convenient to your home.

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Editor's Note: Adapted from A Comprehensive Guide for Cancer Patients and Their Families. Bull Publishing Company: Palo Alto, CA, 1980. Selection authored by Judy Bray, OTR.

Posted in Home Safety & Fall Prevention, How to Care for Someone at Home, Supportive Homecare