Activities of Daily Living and Self-Care as Human Occupation

Collins, Bethan; Whalley Hammell, Karen; McQuillan, Vicky

Abstract

This chapter highlights conventional understandings of self-care activities of daily living within occupational therapy and occupational science. Activities of daily living (ADL) are deemed necessary for health and are performed routinely. This chapter discusses the categorization of ADL, assessment and intervention, provides a critique of traditional approaches in occupational therapy and suggests future practices.
Unquestioned assumptions about the importance of self-care occupations and the necessity of ‘enabling’ patients/service users/clients to perform self-care activities independently abound within occupational therapy. This chapter will highlight some of these assumptions and contest them within the context of cultural diversity, critical disability perspectives, and gendered perspectives.

• Online Publication Date: Sep 18, 2024
• Deposit Date: Feb 21, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 19, 2026
• Publisher: Routledge
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Edition: 1st
• Book Title: Human Occupation : Contemporary Concepts and Lifespan Perspectives
• Chapter Number: 32
• ISBN: 9781032214566; 9781032824642
• Keywords: Personal activities of daily living (PADL); self-care; self-management; independence; Critical theories
• Publisher URL: https://www.routledge.com/Human-Occupation-Contemporary-Concepts-and-Lifespan-Perspectives/Brown-Isbel-Gustafsson-Gutman-PowersDirette-Collins-Barlott/p/book/9781032214566
• Contract Date: Jun 30, 2023