what is an ADL let's Break it down
So this is going to
be a very basic post and it’s one that I discovered needed doing as people are
not understanding the NDIS and disability Jargon. I do admit it’s a lot to get
used to and to be aware that you have to learn a new language essentially and
if English isn’t your first language it gets even harder.
I have done a video on this that is embedded in the blog
post but, ADLs are the foundations of life, they are Activities of Daily living,
the really basic stuff, being able to move around without a mobility aid, being
able to dress yourself, being able to eat, grooming and toileting and showering.
There is a crossover between these and life skills and some could
be considered both like hygiene in the home such as cleaning, changing bed
sheets being able to vacuum or mop a floor, and cooking goes with being able to
eat, but they are what make up the foundations of life and you can see how we
say that it’s where you are first assessed on with applying for the NDIS as the foundation of the NDIS is how does your
disability affect your every day living, this is where the support does come in
to play.
I am sorry to be the one to say that it’s not I have a disability
I am on the NDIS as some people don’t need support or even want support Groom
is the freedom to choose and is choose and control over your situation, as this
means that a person with high and complex needs would need help with most of
these tasks and some people who are higher functioning and have been taught
these skills, may not need as much support.
Support does come in many forms and the two main forms are Active support where a person is actively
engaged in learning the Activities of daily living to be more independent, as
well as the life skills that go along with them, such as being able to cook you
need groceries and how do you acquire groceries, so if you don’t drive how do
you access transportation, or do you order online, or ask someone to go out for
you, or do you have access to a support worker to be able to work with you to
take you.
You would need grooming products, such as shampoo,
conditioner, soap washers, toothpaste and a toothbrush, deodorant, and the
other things that you may need such as razors for trimming facial hair or other
creams depending on gender.
So being able to teach someone how to use them, and again
how to get them, do you buy them at the chemist or groceries and this then
would cross over into budgeting time and money as well and what brands you like
as if you can price compare then we can work on budgeting.
But if you need help with the
grooming or a specialized type of product such as soap-free or chemical these
need to be considered as well.
Activities of daily living
are where the foundations of life come into play and you can see where it can
get confusing for someone to be able to understand what a life skill and Activity of daily living, and it can be
confusing to assess what you or someone you care for needs help with, so this is
where having the reports from health professionals do help in applying so functional
capacity assessments from Occupational therapists and physiotherapists, ABS’s( Adult behavior assessment scale) from a
mental health professional to see if there are gaps in mental capacity and
physical age.
So a person might be mentally in their 20s but in their physical
age in their 40s and this would affect their mindset and emotional development.
This is where it gets complex as it is different for physical disabilities where
the gaps are clear cut and we can identify where they are going to need help versus
someone with a hidden disability or a dynamic disability where on one day they
can do the thing but on other days they can’t and this is where some support
workers can get stuck thinking that the person should be able to do the thing
every day consistently. But this is where things like routines and sequencing
come into play. So In short this is how we can live life and have a happy life and
build on those skills. Think about how good it feels to have a clean house on
the weekend and be able to enjoy the free time that brings, so with that, you
need to have the skills to clean and meal plan to work out what budget you have,
and sometimes that budget can be time.
It's the little things that we take for granted like being
able to eat, to talk to move to respond to someone asking you a question. This
is where intensive support comes into play so a support worker is practicing
the skills with someone, this is also active support.
Then passive support is when a support worker because of the
severity of someone’s illness or disability does most things for them, such as
showering them, feeding them, groceries, and cleaning them, it’s a passive level
of support and this is where a much more intensive level of support is needed
and that person might need two people to shower them because of there mobility
issue’s, or level of complex needs.
Support workers need to be able to help with activities of
daily living as they are the foundations of life and being the foundations we
see that people can build on these skills once they are achieved, and for some
people that might be making a cup of tea or coffee for a guest it might have
taken years or months to remember the steps or might need physical reminders as
I have for leaving the house, so this is where an occupational therapist can
work with the support team to set up routines that people can work to and to
understand, and accept, they also provide a level of comfort and routine but
they are also able to be flexible as the person learns the necessary skills and
then needs less support.
Comments
Post a Comment