The Independence Checklist: 12 Everyday Tasks Your Parent Should Still Manage Alone

It is better to ask yourself what your parents can do for their own safety and wellbeing, rather than asking if they can still manage.

Will they make their tea, get dressed, take their medication, use the toilet, pay the utility bill, or open the front door?

These may seem like trivial tasks, but they can also become blind spots for families.

Most people believe that losing independence is always one single event. In fact, it occurs gradually.

One task becomes hard, then another. A little support is given, and soon everything is being done for them. A routine of doing everything for them develops quickly without them realizing how much of their independence has been lost.

For this reason, we should not ask such simplistic questions about independence.

It is more complicated than that. It is about looking after their own safety and wellbeing. It is about perceiving the additional time it takes them to do certain things. It is about understanding when they may need a little assistance. It is about understanding the difference between them needing assistance and simply getting the right assistive device.

This 12-point checklist aims to help families recognize those changes. Can your parents manage all of these tasks independently? If they can, then you should protect that ability.

Struggling simply means there is a reason to adapt. This can include adapting the bathroom, getting a new walking aid, establishing a medication routine, or even getting an assistive product for a task that is now too difficult.

Removing independence is definitely not the goal. The goal is to create as much independence as possible.

Caring for your parents doesn't have to be a difficult process. This checklist helps assess 12 essential activities of daily living and also helps to ease the burden of providing a supportive and safe environment for those who are challenged in their daily routines.

What the Checklist Can Tell You

Activities of daily living include tasks that need to be done for basic self-care, such as bathing, dressing, eating, and using the toilet.

Instrumental activities of daily living include more advanced tasks, such as managing medications, preparing food, managing money, and using the phone.

A change in one task does not mean that a person has lost all independence. It could indicate pain, bad vision, a side effect of medication, weakness, sadness, or a health problem that is not being managed.

The goal is to see what is happening and make a judgment based on that. If you have the opportunity, let your parents continue the task on their own instead of rushing in and doing it for them.

The 12 Everyday Tasks to Assess

1. Making a Drink or a Simple Meal

Are your parents still able to make tea, or a simple meal, or safely take food and water from the kitchen? With old age, there could be issues in performing these activities due to weakness, tremors, poor vision, memory difficulties, or the inability to stand for a long time.

Additional resources may include utensils that are lighter in weight, containers that are easy to open, a kitchen stool, and even preparing the ingredients in advance. Unsafe cooking should not be a barrier if loved ones are there to assist and support them with the problematic steps.

2. Eating and Drinking Independently

Do they feed themselves and also ensure they drink sufficiently? Do they spill food, forget to eat, cough when eating, or struggle with chewing and swallowing?

One should not ignore these changes. More support may be needed (and deserved) from a dietitian, physician, speech therapist, or occupational therapist.

3. Getting Dressed

Are they able to put on clothing without any help? Dressing takes time. The concern is whether dressing has become unduly stressful or even dangerous.

Clothing should be comfortable. Footwear should be easy to put on. Using long-reach aids may help.

4. Bathing and Personal Hygiene

Are they able to bathe themselves, groom, and perform personal hygiene tasks? Bathrooms present a host of difficulties, including amongst others — wet floors, low seating, balancing issues, and stepping over thresholds.

AGEasy offers a variety of products like their AGEasy Shower Chair for Seniors Fall Prevention, AGEasy Anti-Slip Mat with Foot Scrubber, and AGEasy Toilet Grab Bar with Floor Support.

While these can help with stability and the prevention of slips, they require some level of installation and must be used properly. If your parent is unsteady, you should seek out an occupational or physical therapist to help assess and lessen the risk of injury in and around the bathroom.

5. Using the Toilet

Can they reach the bathroom, sit down, stand up, and clean themselves safely? Falling while rushing to the toilet is quite common.

An AGEasy Commode Seat Raiser should make it easier for those with difficulty in their knees or joints to get up and down from the toilet. It may be especially useful to those with very limited mobility, but the product must be assessed in regard to the individual and their surrounding environment.

Any new sign of incontinence, blood in either urine or stool, pain while urinating, or sudden changes in their bowel movements should be evaluated by a physician.

6. Moving Around the Home

Can they walk to the living room or front door from their bedroom without holding on to furniture? Look for shuffling, unsteadiness, and fatigue, as well as frequent instances of near falls.

Aesthetics are not the most important aspect when choosing a walking aid, and in fact, should be the least important aspect when choosing a walker, stick, or other AGEasy walking aid. These include the AGEasy Four Leg Walking Stick, the AGEasy Pivot Lumina Foldable Walking Stick, and the AGEasy Walker Without Wheels for Seniors.

A stick, walker, or other aid may be determined suitable by a therapist after an assessment, as they are able to demonstrate to the individual a safe way to use the aid.

7. Getting In and Out of a Chair or Bed

Can they stand from a chair, transfer to the bed, or sit down without falling? Difficulty with these tasks indicates weak leg strength, pain, dizziness, or an issue with the height of the chair.

It is best to use firm chairs with armrests. Soft, low chairs should be avoided. If your parents feel dizzy after standing, they should pause for a minute and speak to their healthcare professional.

8. Taking Medicines Correctly

Can they remember the times to take medicine, open the packets, and follow the prescribed doses without making mistakes? These mistakes may be caused by poor vision, memory changes, or confusing instructions due to a large number of medications.

Many people find it useful to have a written daily planner, pill organizer, and a reminder system with checks at the end of the day. Healthcare professionals should be consulted before changes are made to medication. If your parent is directed to monitor blood pressure at home, an AGEasy Arm BP Monitor or AGEasy Digital BP Monitor could be used to record blood pressure as directed by the healthcare professional. Blood pressure recordings should only be used to make changes to their treatment by healthcare professionals.

9. Using the Phone

Can they receive calls, dial family, and make emergency calls? Difficulty with these tasks may be due to hearing loss, poor vision, memory loss, or difficulty in using a small device.

Consider using phones with larger buttons and place important numbers in an easy-to-see location. Your parents need to understand how to call for emergency help if they are unable to get to the phone.

10. Managing Money and Bills

Signs that may indicate your parent has a problem remembering how to manage their money may seem similar to the early signs of other memory problems. Signs may also be related to difficulty seeing clearly or using services/apps to manage their personal finances.

Help them manage their money to the best of your ability, without interfering too much with their privacy. Set up direct debits for them. They may appreciate large-print statements or getting a family member to check their statements. You should definitely investigate any transactions that appear with no explanation.

11. Shopping and Household Tasks

Do they have the ability to do these basic tasks? Sometimes the issues are not entirely ability-related. They may have a lack of strength, fatigue, or live a long distance from transport that aids in buying groceries. There are many options like delivery, online shopping, and lighter cleaning tools that a family member can help coordinate while a parent retains the majority of the responsibility.

12. Going Outside and Maintaining Social Contact

Can they walk to the end of the driveway? Do appointments seem intimidating to them? Do they, or do you think they, lack the confidence to visit friends or go outside? There are many reasons your parents may not want to or may seem to avoid going outside. Have you noticed pain, poor vision, falling, incontinence, or fear?

Bring them to their appointments. Support them in purchasing incontinence products. Get them a walking aid. They may need to work on building their confidence by walking outside a couple of times a day. If no one is available to help, set a goal to take one short trip a day and a longer trip every other day. Bring them to an appointment and go shopping for them. A mental health professional or your doctor should be consulted if your parent is withdrawn and no longer happy.

Each "No" Is a New Opportunity

A response of "no" should not mean the end. A "no" should incentivize further investigation. Not many people know what challenges them. Is it painful? Weakness? Fear? Memory? Vision? The absence of means?

Having identified the barrier, you should consider whether you can ease the burden through a small adjustment to your home or by acquiring assistive technology. If not, then perhaps a medical review is in order. Your practitioner of choice should evaluate any new or worsening symptoms, while an occupational therapist should evaluate your home tasks and a physiotherapist should evaluate your mobility.

This checklist should be assessed regularly, once every few months and also in the event of any surgery or serious illness. Needing support or medical aids does not mean that one cannot regain the lost abilities.

This checklist is designed to help you and your family assess what your parents can do easily and things for which they need support. Also, it is important to consult a medical physician in case of repeated falls, difficulty in swallowing food or any other concerns related to your parents' health and safety.