Personal Care and Activities of Daily Living
Know the task list
Activities of daily living (ADLs) are the self-care tasks a resident performs every day: bathing, dressing, grooming, oral care, toileting, eating, and moving about. Your job is to help residents do these for themselves whenever possible, not to do them for the resident. Independence is the goal; speed is not.
Sequence rules that show up on tests
- Dressing: put the garment on the weak or affected side first, then the strong side. When undressing, reverse it - remove from the strong side first, weak side last.
- Bathing: wash from cleanest to dirtiest, and do perineal care front to back to help prevent urinary tract infection.
- Oral care: brush teeth and gums. For an unconscious resident, turn the head to the side and use a small amount of water so nothing is aspirated. Clean dentures over a basin lined with a towel using cool or lukewarm water - hot water warps them.
- Toileting: offer the bedpan or urinal on a schedule, answer call lights promptly, and clean the perineum front to back.
Traps
Items using absolute words such as "always" or "never" are usually wrong unless they state a genuine safety rule. Items where the aide decides something clinical are usually wrong - the nurse assesses. Items showing the aide rushing, leaving a door open, or leaving a resident uncovered are wrong.
Rule of thumb
If the resident can do part of a task, let them. Set supplies within reach, offer a washcloth, and allow time. Report what the resident accomplished, not what you did for them.