Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 6, 2026

Assessment of Dependence in Activities of Daily Living Among Older Patients in an Acute Care Unit
Published on: September 30, 2020
Monitoring functional status in hospitalized older adults
Meredith Wallace1, Mary Shelkey
1Yale University School of Nursing, New Haven, CT, USA. meredith.wallace@yale.edu
Unlabelled:
The Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living can help nurses detect subtle changes in health and prevent functional decline.
Overview:
Created 45 years ago, the Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living has shown itself to be an important tool in measuring an older adult's capacity to care for her- or himself. When a nurse using the tool notes a diminishment in the patient's ability to perform any of six activities-bathing, dressing, toileting, eating, transferring, or remaining continent-further assessment may uncover a reversible cause, such as a chronic or acute condition requiring treatment. A video demonstrating the use of the Katz index is available for free online at http://links.lww.com/A241.
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