Instrumental activities of daily living
The harder-to-see tasks — money, medication, cooking, transport, the telephone. Difficulty here usually appears long before difficulty with bathing or dressing.
What it means
Instrumental activities of daily living, usually abbreviated IADLs, cover managing finances, taking medication correctly, preparing meals, shopping, housekeeping, using transport and using a telephone.
They are distinct from the six basic activities of daily living, which are physical self-care. Benefit triggers on insurance policies are usually written against the basic six rather than these.
They are the first things to slip, and the easiest for somebody to conceal from a visiting relative.
Why it matters
Unpaid bills, missed medication and a fridge with nothing in it are the earliest reliable signs that a parent is struggling, and they are all IADLs.
They also matter for the arithmetic: a policy that pays only when two basic activities are affected will not pay for the help somebody needs at this stage.
When you are likely to meet it
- When a visit turns up post unopened and food out of date.
- When an assessment is being arranged.
- When reading what a long-term care policy will and will not trigger on.