Ace the COMAT Family Medicine Exam 2025 – Heal the Future with Confidence!

Activities of daily living (ADLs) typically refer to the basic tasks that are essential for self-care and day-to-day functioning. These activities usually include actions such as toileting, transferring (moving from one position to another, such as from a bed to a chair), dressing, bathing, and eating.

Shopping, while important for maintaining an individual’s independence and well-being, is classified as an instrumental activity of daily living (IADL) rather than a basic ADL. IADLs are more complex skills that support independent living and may include tasks like managing finances, transportation, communication, shopping, and meal preparation.

Therefore, identifying shopping as an activity that does not fall under the category of basic ADLs illustrates the distinction between fundamental self-care tasks and those that support a person’s broader functional independence. This is important in assessing a person's ability to live independently or in determining the level of care they may require.