ADLs—The Building Blocks to Patient Recovery and Rehabilitation

When assessing and treating various patient diagnoses, one common denominator exists—activities of daily living. What brings the patient to your clinic is the inability to function as they did before their illness or injury. The rehabilitation professional must parlay his/her understanding of the diagnosis and how it affects activities of daily living into a treatment plan, so that the patient's functional independence can be restored. When therapists and nurses communicate in functional terms with physicians, case managers, and third party payers, they are able to show patient progress in functional and simple language that is applicable to professionals and laypersons alike. Relating the patient diagnosis to affected ADLs not only helps the health care team better understand the treatment plan, it justifies the need for multidisciplinary intervention.

This dynamic, one-day seminar will provide participants with a working knowledge of how ADLs are weaved into the patient's therapeutic intervention. You will learn to use ADLs as a treatment modality and to view daily occupations, self-care skills, and leisure interests as important building blocks to patient recovery and rehabilitation. This course will examine the full spectrum of patient care from geriatric populations in skilled nursing facilities and adult living facilities to pediatric settings. You will discuss treatment plans, explore ideas, and evaluate interventions through case studies. Attendees will leave the seminar better equipped to incorporate ADLs into therapeutic goals and treatment plans and to document each case effectively.

COURSE CONTENT

INTRODUCTION

How activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) are used in treatment

EVALUATION AND TREATMENT OF ADL/IADL

• Neuromotor dysfunctions

-cerebral vascular accidents (CVA’s)

-muscular dystrophy and multiple sclerosis

-Parkinson’s disease

-Alzheimer’s disease

• Cardio/pulmonary dysfunctions

-congestive heart failure and coronary artery disease (CAD)

-respiratory complications

• COPD

-emphysema

-asthma

-aspiration from improper posture and feeding techniques

-proper breathing techniques during feeding tasks

• Orthopedic dysfunctions

-osteoarthritis

-rheumatoid arthritis

-joint limitation due to fractures and disuse atrophy

-hip and knee joint replacement

AGE RELATED FACTORS THAT AFFECT ADL/IADL

• Pediatrics
• Adults
• Geriatrics

HOME ASSESSMENTS AND HOME SAFETY

• Home environment interview
• Visiting the patient’s home to assess for a safe environment
• Returning the patient to a barrier-free home environment
• Recruiting allies—the spouse, caregiver, parent, child, etc.
• Use of assessment tools, checklists (a systematic approach)

MOBILITY AND ADLS

• How impaired mobility affects ADLs and self-care skills
• Decreased functional mobility in the kitchen, bathroom, and in entry/exit-ways

ACTIVITY ANALYSIS (A2) TO FACILITATE ADL INDEPENDENCE

• Assess the process, not the task itself
• Helps the therapist simplify the task at hand
• Allows the patient to visualize problem areas better

ADLS AND ADAPATIVE EQUIPMENT

• ADL equipment used in the clinic and at home
• When to use, when not to use
• Adaptive equipment—a hindrance or a help?
• Practice—first in the clinic then at home

DOCUMENTING AND GOAL WRITING

• Use of functional and practical ADL terminology
• Use of key indicators when writing functional goals
• Justifying therapeutic and functional interventions

CASE STUDIES AND GROUP COLLABORATION