The status of activities of daily living: A Victorian perspective

This paper reviews the status of Activities of Daily Living (ADL) within occupational therapy in Victoria. We propose that occupational therapists have not utilised ADL to its full potential in both physical and psychosocial practice. In the quest for a “scientific” base, occupational therapists have concentrated on the more “prestigious” areas of practice for research and development. Our viewpoint is that ADL does constitute part of our scientific base, and that we are in danger of losing our advantage, as other professions begin to realise the value of ADL.