What is a key practical use of the Katz Index of Activities of Daily Living?

• A. It is a simple and quick tool to gather self-care information and predict outcome and need for ongoing assistance
• B. It is a comprehensive cognitive assessment
• C. It measures pain intensity
• D. It assesses driving ability

Answer: (A)

The Katz Index of Activities of Daily Living is a quick, practical screen of a person’s ability to perform basic self‑care tasks, helping you gauge their level of independence. It centers on essential activities such as bathing, dressing, using the toilet, transferring, continence, and feeding. Because it’s simple and fast to administer, it’s especially useful for gathering essential self-care information and predicting outcomes and the need for ongoing assistance — for example, discharge planning or determining whether a patient can return home with support or needs rehab or long‑term care. It’s not meant to assess cognition, pain intensity, or driving ability, which is why those aspects aren’t captured by this tool.