Tests That Can Help You Decide If It Is Time to Get Help for Your Loved One
- Elder Love USA
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Over time, many older adults experience changes in their physical strength, mobility, or cognitive abilities.
These changes can affect their ability to care for themselves or complete everyday tasks safely.
The Importance of Recognizing Changes in Independence Early
Changes in an older adult’s ability to care for themselves often happen gradually. Small shifts in mobility, memory, or daily routines can be easy to dismiss or explain away, especially when families are already stretched thin.
Recognizing these changes early is important for older adults because it helps protect their safety, dignity, and sense of control.
When changes are identified sooner, older adults are more likely to participate in decisions about their care, adapt their routines at a manageable pace, and receive support that helps them remain as independent as possible.
Early awareness can also reduce the risk of preventable injuries, such as falls, and help address health concerns before they worsen.
Early recognition is also critical for caregivers.
When support needs are identified late, caregiving responsibilities often increase quickly.
Tasks that once felt manageable can become physically demanding and emotionally draining with little time to prepare.
This can be especially overwhelming for caregivers who are also balancing work, parenting, financial responsibilities, or their own health needs.
Early recognition does not mean immediate outside care, but it does create space for better decisions and healthier outcomes for everyone involved.
Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)
Activities of Daily Living, also called ADLs, refer to basic self-care tasks that most people need to perform each day.
These typically include bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, and moving from a bed to a chair.
When an older adult begins to struggle with one or more of these tasks, it may be a sign that they need help beyond what family members can reasonably provide on their own.
In the United States, the most common ADL older adults receive help with is transferring, meaning getting in and out of beds or chairs.
A self-assessment tool created by Dementia Care Central is designed to help think through a loved one’s level of independence with ADLs.
After answering a series of questions, the tool provides a score out of six. Higher scores generally indicate a higher level of independence.
In the United States, caregivers assist with an average of about 1.9 out of 6 ADLs.
Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs)
In addition to basic self-care tasks, there are more complex activities that are necessary for living independently. These are known as Instrumental Activities of Daily Living, or IADLs.
IADLs include managing finances, preparing meals, shopping, housekeeping, using transportation, managing medications, and using the phone or other communication tools.
In the United States, caregivers help with an average of about 4.5 IADLs.
One commonly used assessment is the Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale.
It measures eight areas of daily function, including phone use, shopping, food preparation, housekeeping, laundry, transportation, medication management, and handling finances.
An Important Note About Self-Assessment Tools
It is important to be clear about what these tools are and what they are not. For the tool created by Dementia Care Central, while it received funding support from the National Institutes of Health, it is for informational purposes only.
It is not a clinical diagnostic test.
These types of tools can be useful for organizing observations, tracking changes over time, and guiding conversations with healthcare providers.
They should not be used on their own to make medical or care decisions.
It's a good idea to talk with a healthcare provider before trying to interpret the results on your own. They can help determine what kind of support is appropriate and whether further evaluation is needed.
Home Care at Elder Love USA. If you are unsure whether home care is the right fit for your situation, you can contact us at 888-336-8322 Our dedicated care professional can help you think through your options and explain what types of support may be appropriate based on your specific needs. As the only nonprofit agency in California offering home care services, we are dedicated to providing compassionate affordable in-home care.
All caregivers undergo thorough background checks and training with certification.
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Our caregivers can assist with personal care, shopping, cooking, transportation, housekeeping, and case management.
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