Functional disability in activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living among Nepalese Newar elderly.

Physical function is recognized as an important indicator of health in older people and many studies have been undertaken. With increasing age, objectively measured health and functional status decline, physical and cognitive capacities decrease, and the number of chronic diseases and the extent of disability in performing daily activities increases. Maintaining good functional capacity is a crucial component of successful ageing. Functional disability is often assessed in older adults by their difficulty in performing basic activities of daily living (ADL), such as those measured on the Katz index (eating, bathing, dressing, transferring, toileting and continence). In addition, assessment of functional status, using instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), suggests that IADL deficits usually precede ADL deficits. The most common problem that impacts upon the health and quality of life of older people,