ADL assessment: what the injury actually changed at home.
An occupational therapy assessment of how an injury affects everyday life — washing, dressing, cooking, cleaning, getting around — with practical recommendations for equipment, home modifications and support.
Everyday function, honestly assessed.
What an ADL assessment at National Care Providers covers.
Self-care
Bathing, dressing, grooming and personal care — observed, not assumed.
Home & Domestic
Cooking, cleaning, laundry and the tasks that keep a household running.
Mobility & Safety
Moving around the home, stairs, transfers, and the hazards nobody noticed.
Equipment & Modifications
Practical recommendations, linked directly to the functional impairment.
A clinic tells you about the injury. A home tells you about the impact.
An Activities of Daily Living assessment looks at the ordinary tasks a person did without thinking before their injury — showering, getting dressed, cooking a meal, carrying washing, getting up a step — and establishes, by observation, which of them have become difficult, unsafe, or impossible.
Our occupational therapist watches the person actually attempt those tasks rather than asking them to estimate. That is the point. People routinely overestimate what they manage, and just as routinely fail to mention the workaround they have quietly invented that is about to cause a fall.
The outcome is a written report: what the person can do independently, what they can do with equipment, what they need help with, and what would make the home safer. Recommendations for equipment, home modifications or paid domestic assistance are tied directly to the injury-related impairment, so they stand up when an insurer reviews them.
From referral to a report you can act on.
- 01
Referral
An insurer, doctor, case manager or family member gets in touch with the injury details.
- 02
Home visit
Our OT attends the person’s home and works through the daily tasks that matter to them.
- 03
Observation and testing
The person attempts real tasks. We assess technique, safety, fatigue and what they are compensating for.
- 04
Report and recommendations
A written report covering function, safety, equipment, home modifications and any support required.
The things people actually ask us.
What does ADL stand for?
Activities of Daily Living — the everyday tasks involved in looking after yourself and your home, such as showering, dressing, preparing meals, cleaning and moving around safely.
Who is an ADL assessment for?
People recovering from an injury, surgery, a stroke or illness who are finding self-care, mobility or household tasks difficult. It is commonly requested for CTP and workers compensation matters, and when someone is preparing to come home from hospital.
Where does the assessment happen?
Usually in the person’s own home. That is deliberate — a person can look perfectly capable in a clinic and still be unable to get safely into their own shower.
How long does it take?
Typically a single visit, with the length depending on how many tasks need to be assessed. We will confirm the expected duration when we book.
What is the difference between an ADL assessment and a Functional Capacity Evaluation?
An ADL assessment looks at everyday personal and household function at home. An FCE measures physical capacity against the demands of a job. Many people benefit from both, because being safe at home and being safe at work are different questions.
Can it be funded through a CTP or workers compensation claim?
It commonly is. Send us the claim details with your referral and we will confirm how funding works in your situation.
Other ways we can help.
A multidisciplinary team that meets weekly — one plan, many disciplines.
Let’s start with a conversation.
Call our intake team or send a referral — we reply within one business hour, every weekday between 9 am and 5 pm Sydney time.