National Institute On Aging

Help with everyday activities

Does the older adult need help with chores, such as housecleaning, yard work, grocery shopping, or laundry? Some grocery and drug stores will take orders over the phone or online and deliver the items to a person’s home, and someone you know may have a housekeeper or gardener to recommend. Laundry and dry-cleaning services that pick up and deliver clothes are another option.

Older adults may also need help with personal care. This includes everyday activities, also called “activities of daily living,” such as bathing, dressing, grooming, using the toilet, eating, and moving around — for example, getting out of bed and into a chair. To provide support for personal care, a relative, friend, or trained aide could help for a short time each day.

Some older adults, especially people who live alone, simply need someone to check on them. You can ask family, neighbors, or nearby friends to drop by on a regular basis to make sure the older person has everything they need.