Lawton IADL Scale (Instrumental Activities of Daily Living)
IADL Lawton IADL Scale Calculator
Lawton IADL Scale (Instrumental Activities of Daily Living)
Estimate an individual’s ability to perform complex activities necessary for independent
community living. Total score 0–8; higher scores indicate greater independence in IADLs.
1. Ability to use telephone
Using the telephone for communication, including finding and dialling numbers.
2. Shopping
Ability to shop for groceries and everyday items, planning and making purchases.
3. Food preparation
Preparing adequate meals, from assembling ingredients to serving.
4. Housekeeping
Routine cleaning and upkeep of the home (e.g. dishes, dusting, floors).
5. Laundry
Washing and drying personal laundry, using usual equipment.
6. Mode of transportation
Ability to travel within the community (public transport, car, taxi).
7. Responsibility for own medications
Managing medication schedule and doses (including use of pill organisers).
8. Ability to handle finances
Managing money, paying bills, budgeting and keeping track of expenses.
Lawton IADL total (0–8)
8
Independent in IADLs
Adjust the responses above and press “Calculate” to display the Lawton IADL total and an
interpretation of IADL dependency level.
Typical summary score range: 0 (very low function, dependent) to 8 (high function,
independent). Cut-offs for dependency bands vary across studies; use with clinical judgement.
This tool is intended for health professionals and educational use. It paraphrases one common
way of scoring the Lawton IADL Scale. Always follow your local form, scoring rules, and
comprehensive geriatric assessment when planning care, support or discharge.
The Lawton IADL Scale (Lawton–Brody Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale) is a brief questionnaire that measures how independently a person can perform the more complex tasks needed for living in the community, beyond basic self-care.
Unlike basic ADLs (washing, dressing, feeding), IADLs cover higher-level activities such as using the telephone, shopping, cooking, housekeeping, laundry, transportation, managing medications and handling finances.nursing.ceconnection.com+1
The original scale, published by Lawton and Brody in 1969, has eight domains:
Ability to use the telephone
Shopping
Food preparation
Housekeeping
Laundry
Mode of transportation
Responsibility for own medications
Ability to handle finances
Each domain is scored as independent (1) or dependent (0) according to the person’s highest level of functioning, giving a summary score from 0 (very low function, dependent) to 8 (high function, independent). Historically, men were sometimes rated on fewer items (excluding housekeeping, laundry, food preparation), but current practice is to score all 8 domains for everyone.
The Lawton IADL Scale is widely used in geriatrics and rehab to:
Detect early functional decline in community-dwelling older adults
Help differentiate physical vs cognitive contributors to loss of independence
Guide care planning (e.g. need for home help, OT, community services) and track change over time.
A low score suggests significant difficulty with independent living, but interpretation should always consider culture, gender roles, premorbid habits and environmental supports.
