What does "assisting with activities of daily living" include?

Assisting with activities of daily living (ADLs) is a fundamental aspect of caregiver responsibilities that focuses on supporting individuals in performing essential daily tasks that maintain their personal hygiene, health, and overall well-being. The correct answer includes bathing, dressing, grooming, eating, and mobility, which are all critical daily activities that many individuals may struggle with due to age, illness, or disability.

Bathing refers to maintaining personal hygiene and comfort, while dressing involves helping an individual put on and take off clothing. Grooming encompasses a range of personal care tasks such as brushing teeth and combing hair. Eating is vital for nutrition and health, and mobility involves helping individuals move around safely, whether that means walking, transferring from one place to another, or using assistive devices.

These activities are typically addressed by certified nursing assistants (CNAs) because they help maintain an individual's dignity, independence, and quality of life. While cooking, cleaning, medication administration, and physical therapy exercises are important aspects of care, they do not fall under the classic definition of ADLs directly related to individual personal care. Cooking and cleaning are instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), while medication administration and physical therapy exercises involve more specialized training and responsibilities beyond the scope of basic