Cardiac Rehabilitation And Quality Of Life Scores

Lawton IADL Scale Calculator

Clinical calculation support · Verify results before clinical use

Functional Assessment

Eight domains · 1 point for independent function, 0 points when assistance is needed.

—Score / 8

Ability to Use Telephone

Consider the ability to initiate and complete telephone calls.

0–1 point

Shopping

Consider the ability to manage shopping needs independently.

0–1 point

Food Preparation

Consider planning, preparing, and serving adequate meals.

0–1 point

Housekeeping

Consider the ability to maintain the home.

0–1 point

Laundry

Consider the ability to manage personal laundry.

0–1 point

Mode of Transportation

Consider the ability to travel without another person’s assistance.

0–1 point

Responsibility for Own Medications

Consider the ability to take medication correctly.

0–1 point

Ability to Handle Finances

Consider day-to-day financial management.

0–1 point

About the Lawton IADL Scale

The Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) Scale assesses complex activities needed for independent living in the community. It covers telephone use, shopping, food preparation, housekeeping, laundry, transportation, medication management, and handling finances.

This version assigns 1 point to each domain marked independent and 0 points when assistance is needed, producing a total from 0 to 8. Higher scores indicate greater independence.

Score guide

ScoreDescription in this calculator
8 / 8All eight domains scored as independent
1–7 / 8At least one domain indicates a need for assistance
0 / 8Assistance indicated in all eight domains

These are descriptive summaries of the binary responses, not validated clinical severity bands. Consider the patient's usual environment, opportunities to perform each task, cultural context, cognition, physical limitations, and informant reliability.

Clinical use

  • Use domain-level responses to guide functional assessment and care planning.
  • When monitoring change over time, use a consistent version and scoring method.
  • Do not use the score alone to diagnose a condition or determine treatment.

References

Lawton MP, Brody EM.Assessment of older people: Self-maintaining and instrumental activities of daily living. The Gerontologist. 1969;9(3 Part 1):179–186.doi:10.1093/geront/9.3_Part_1.179 · PubMed PMID: 5349366
National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), Bookshelf.Screening for Cognitive Impairment in Older Adults: An Evidence Update for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Table describing commonly used assessment scales, including Lawton IADL.View scale summary
Clinical disclaimer: This tool supports functional assessment and does not replace a comprehensive clinical evaluation. Confirm that the scoring version is appropriate for the intended population and setting. Interpret results alongside clinical history, direct observation when appropriate, and assessment of individual activity domains.
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