Which assessment evaluates independent living skills?

Which assessment evaluates independent living skills?

• A. Timed UP & GO (TUG)
• B. OASIS C
• C. Lawton IADL
• D. Katz Index ADL

Answer: (C)

Independent living hinges on instrumental activities of daily living—the complex tasks that enable a person to manage a home and life in the community. The Lawton IADL specifically measures these skills, such as using the telephone, shopping, meal preparation, housekeeping, laundry, transportation, taking medications, and handling finances. A higher score indicates greater independence, so this instrument directly evaluates whether someone can live at home with or without assistance. In contrast, the Katz Index of ADL looks at basic self-care tasks like bathing, dressing, transferring, toileting, continence, and feeding—foundational activities but not the broader set needed to live independently. The Timed Up and Go assesses mobility and fall risk rather than independence in daily living. OASIS-C is a broad home health assessment covering multiple domains, including ADLs and IADLs, but it isn’t a single, dedicated measure of independent living skills.

Independent living hinges on instrumental activities of daily living—the complex tasks that enable a person to manage a home and life in the community. The Lawton IADL specifically measures these skills, such as using the telephone, shopping, meal preparation, housekeeping, laundry, transportation, taking medications, and handling finances. A higher score indicates greater independence, so this instrument directly evaluates whether someone can live at home with or without assistance.

In contrast, the Katz Index of ADL looks at basic self-care tasks like bathing, dressing, transferring, toileting, continence, and feeding—foundational activities but not the broader set needed to live independently. The Timed Up and Go assesses mobility and fall risk rather than independence in daily living. OASIS-C is a broad home health assessment covering multiple domains, including ADLs and IADLs, but it isn’t a single, dedicated measure of independent living skills.