ADP daily living component activity 4 – washing and bathing

This chapter provides information on activity 4 of the daily living component of Adult Disability Payment (ADP).

This chapter should be read and applied in line with the Overview of Decision Making and the Daily Living Component Introduction. 

Considerations and definitions

Daily living component activity 4 considers an individual’s ability to wash and bathe.

Washing means cleaning one’s body and hair, including removing dirt and sweat.

Bathing includes getting into and out of both an un-adapted bath and an un-adapted shower.

It should be considered whether an individual would be able to use both an un-adapted bath and an un-adapted shower, even if they do not have access to both.

A wet room is an example of an adapted shower. If an individual reasonably requires use of a wet room, it could be evidence that the individual cannot access an un-adapted bath or shower. Consideration should be given to an individual’s ability to use an un-adapted bath and shower and establish what, if any, help they need in relation to using these.

A shower attachment on a bath is usually considered to be an un-adapted shower.

Daily living component activity 4 descriptors

The daily living component activity 4 descriptors describe seven levels of functional ability to complete the activity:

1. can wash and bathe unaided
2. needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to wash or bathe
3. needs supervision or prompting to be able to wash or bathe
4. needs assistance to be able to wash either their hair, or body below the waist
5. needs assistance to be able to get in or out of an un-adapted bath or shower
6. needs assistance to be able to wash their body between the shoulders and waist
7. cannot wash and bathe at all and needs another person to wash their entire body.ADP regs, Schedule 1 Part 2 - Daily Living Activities, Activity (4)).

Reliability criteria

The reliability criteria should be considered when identifying the appropriate descriptor for this activity.

Aids and appliances

Where an individual wears or uses (or could reasonably be expected to wear or use) an aid and/or appliance to assist them in completing this activity, this may mean that they satisfy daily living component activity 4 descriptor B, which is covered later.

Prompting, supervision, assistance, and needs

You will also consider if the individual needs prompting, supervision or assistance from another person to complete the activity.

• ‘prompting’ means reminding, encouraging or explaining by another person. This does not have to be in the physical presence of the individual.
• ’supervision’ means the continuous presence of another person for the purpose of ensuring an individual’s safety.  The supervision can be in relation to any risk to the individual’s safety, whether or not the risk directly results from carrying out the activity in question.
• ’assistance’ means physical intervention by another person and does not include speech.
• ’needs’ means what is reasonably required but that the individual may not actually have

You should consider an individual’s functional ability to establish if they need an aid or appliance, such as a grab rail, to get in or out of an un-adapted bath or shower. In this case, daily living component activity 4 descriptor B may apply.

You should consider an individual’s functional ability to establish if they need assistance to get in and out of an un-adapted bath or shower. Where the individual does require such assistance daily living component activity 4 descriptor E may apply.

You should consider an individual’s functional ability to establish if they require prompting or supervision to get into or out of an un-adapted bath or shower, in which case daily living component activity 4 descriptor C.

Safety

If a client has to remove hearing aids to wash or bathe, they wouldn’t be completing this activity safely or to an acceptable standard. Consideration should be given to whether they would need:  an aid or appliance, prompting, assistance or supervision to be able to complete the activity safely and to an acceptable standard.

Frequency

The frequency of how often an individual is both able to wash or chooses to wash should be considered. A change in frequency (both a decrease and an increase where it is deemed excessive) could be indicative that the individual has needs relating to their condition or disability.

Excessive frequency may describe completing an activity more than two times as often as is common. For example, choosing to wash at least twice every day, where there is no specific additional reason, such as having taken exercise, could be deemed excessive. You should take a person-centred approach in considering what may be deemed excessive in each individual’s situation.

What daily living component activity 4 does not consider

Daily living component activity 4 does not consider the following:

• an individual’s ability to shave
• an individual’s ability to brush their teeth
• an individual’s ability to open bottles such as shampoo and / or shower gels
• an individual’s ability to wash their upper spinal region