The Lawton-Brody Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) scale measures which of the following?

• A. Basic activities of daily living
• B. Instrumental activities of daily living
• C. Physical performance
• D. Nutritional status

Answer: (B)

The main idea is that this scale assesses the ability to perform complex tasks needed for living independently in the community. Instrumental activities of daily living are those higher-level activities that require organization, planning, and problem solving, such as using the phone, shopping, meal preparation, housekeeping, laundry, getting around (transportation), managing medications, and handling finances. These tasks go beyond basic self-care and reflect whether someone can live independently.

This is why the Lawton-Brody scale is the best measure here: it targets these more complex activities that determine day-to-day independence, rather than the fundamental self-care tasks. It’s not designed to gauge basic activities like bathing or dressing, which are the focus of basic ADL measures; it also isn’t a test of physical performance or nutritional status, which are evaluated by other tools.