Final answer:
With age, ADLs like bathing, dressing, and eating become more challenging due to physical and cognitive changes. Aging individuals living alone face greater risks and challenges in maintaining these activities due to the absence of immediate support and increased potential for neglect of personal care and safety.
Step-by-step explanation:
Activities of daily living (ADLs) are routine tasks that individuals do every day without needing assistance. With age, these activities can become more challenging due to factors such as reduced muscle strength, slower reflexes, and changes in cognitive function. Common ADLs that are affected include bathing, dressing, eating, maintaining personal hygiene, and managing household tasks. When aging individuals live alone and unsupervised, the impact on ADLs is magnified. Lack of supervision may lead to increased risk of neglecting personal care, not following through with medical treatments, and higher potential for accidents within the home.
As the immune system weakens, older adults also experience a heightened risk of illness, making tasks like meal preparation and shopping more hazardous. Added to these are psychosocial challenges such as isolation and depression, which can further exacerbate the difficulty in maintaining ADLs. It's important that seniors living alone have access to support systems and tools that can assist them in their daily routines. This may include home modifications, assistive devices, or community-based services that help foster as much independence as possible while ensuring safety.