As the condition of persons living with dementia progresses, their abilities to perform Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) deteriorate as well. ADLs refer to routine activities which most persons have learned to perform from young and usually do on a daily basis without any assistance.1 However, due to dementia, individuals gradually become unable to perform these daily routines.2
The six ADLs include:
- Personal Hygiene (Bathing/Showering, Oral Hygiene, etc.)
- Dressing
- Toileting
- Mobility
- Transferring
- Eating and Drinking
As a caregiver, you play an important role in supporting your loved one living with dementia. Instead of completely doing ADLs for your loved one, you can provide proper assistance by making these activities easier for them to perform, or finding ways for them to do these activities by themselves via other methods. This helps to prolong their independence, empowering them to do whatever they can for as long as possible.
Listen to the sharing of May Chng, a nurse educator, on her belief in providing care that empowers her mother, Leow Yan Cheng. Despite her mother’s dementia diagnosis, May lets her mother perform the simple daily tasks, instead of taking over them. She even continues to involve her mother in cooking by getting her help with the smaller tasks. Speaking from both her professional and personal experience, May shares with us how complimenting her mother and others living with dementia is vital, and improves their sense of worth.
Source: ForgetUsNot Initiative by LIEN Foundation, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, & Dementia Singapore
Cutlery Hacks
Watch how caregivers, Daniel and Danny, modified cutleries like cups, spoons and chopsticks, to enable their parent living with dementia to eat and drink independently!
Enabling Dad to Eat on His Own | Daniel Lim
Source: ForgetUsNot Initiative by LIEN Foundation, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, & Dementia Singapore
My Dementia Cup Hack | Danny Raven Tan
Source: ForgetUsNot Initiative by LIEN Foundation, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, & Dementia Singapore
Training Resources
The ABCs of Caregiving
- Monitoring of vital signs (temperature, blood pressure, pulse rate) and managing emergencies
- Infection control (including hand hygiene and simple wound care) and basic skincare
- Serving oral medication (including reading of medication labels)
- Nutrition and Hydration
- Assistance with eating
- Toileting
- Personal hygiene
- Mobility
- Bed bath
- Transferring, Positioning and Mobility (Wheelchair)
- Care of Urinary Catheter
- Stoma Care
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Related Resource
- Grey, H. (n.d.). A complete guide to activities of daily living (ADL) in Singapore. https://www.homage.sg/resources/activities-of-daily-living-adl/
- Changi General Hospital. (2019, April 12). Dementia and activities of daily living (ADL). https://www.healthhub.sg/a-z/diseases-and-conditions/518/managing-activities-of-daily-livings-CGH