GLOBAL AGING VALUE.

An important part of the global geriatrical valuation is the valuation of the functional sphere. In this two concepts are valued: Activities of Daily Living and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living.

ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING. (ADL).

Routine activities that people tend to do everyday without needing assistance. There are six basic
ADLs : eating, bathing, dressing, toileting, walking and continence. An single ´s ability to perform ADLs is important for determining what type of long-term care and coverage the individual needs.

Theres several scales for value the ADL, most used: Katz and Barthel Index.

INSTRUMENTAL ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING (IADL).

Instrumental Activities of Daily Living refer to a series of life functions necessary for maintaning a person´s inmediate environment. They include managing money, shopping, telephone use, travel in community, housekeeping, preparing meals and taking medications correctly. It measures and elderly or mentally handicapped or terminally ill person´s ability to live independently. Increasing inability to perform IADLs may result in need for care facility placement.

The scale more used for instruments of daily living is Lawton and Brody index.

In primary attention, the nurse has an important paper in the valuation of the aged one. She will have to know the different scales and the different sections from these, to be able to realise in an adress if it is precise.

The nurse will have to be able of:

-To value the importance of the functionally and autonomy for the greater adult.

-To identify the scales for the functional evaluation of the adults.

-To evaluate the functionally of the adults majors using appropiate sclaes to measure the activities of the daily life, the instrumental activities of the daily life and, to evaluate the march and the balance.

-To design strategies to improve or to maintain the functional state of the elderly people.