Helping Older Parents with Memory Loss

Overview

• Hosted by Dr. Leslie Kernisan, a board-certified geriatrician.
• Focuses on helping parents with memory or thinking problems.
• Key topic: Assessing Activities of Daily Living (ADL's) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL's).

Importance of ADL's and IADL's

• Help determine if an aging parent needs more help or can live independently.
• Relevant for diagnosing stages of dementia or cognitive impairment.
• Used to qualify for elder care programs and long-term care services.

Definitions

Activities of Daily Living (ADL's)

• Basic self-care tasks:
  • Ambulating: Walking/getting around.
  • Feeding: Ability to eat independently.
  • Dressing: Selecting and wearing appropriate clothes.
  • Grooming: Personal appearance management.
  • Toileting: Using the toilet and cleaning oneself.
  • Bathing: Washing face and body.
  • Transferring: Moving between different positions (e.g., bed to chair).

Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL's)

• Complex life skills for independence:
  • Managing finances: Paying bills, managing assets.
  • Managing transportation: Driving or organizing transport.
  • Shopping and meal preparation: Buying food, cooking.
  • Housecleaning and maintenance: Keeping spaces clean and maintained.
  • Managing communication: Using phones, mail, email, and computers.
  • Managing medications: Obtaining and taking them as directed.

Differences between ADL's and IADL's

• ADL's: More physical tasks developed in early childhood.
• IADL's: More cognitive tasks requiring complex thinking, developed in teenage years.
• History: ADL's defined in 1950s, IADL's in 1960s.

Assessment of ADL's and IADL's

• Usually involves evaluating levels of help needed and frequency of assistance.
• Families can use worksheets to assess abilities.
• Important to gather information from various sources for accuracy.
• Reporting difficulties to healthcare providers is crucial for identifying underlying issues.

Practical Implications

• Helps anticipate safety issues and plan support or supervision.
• Enables families to report and address parent's difficulties with healthcare providers.

Next Steps

• Future discussions will focus on how memory issues impact ADL's and IADL's.

This summary captures the key points from Dr. Leslie Kernisan's lecture on assisting aging parents with daily living activities, emphasizing the importance of assessing these skills to ensure elderly individuals receive the necessary care and support.