Managing Daily Activities
Symptoms of Long COVID can make managing the activities we do in our daily life more difficult. Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) include personal and domestic tasks. Personal ADLs include activities such as washing, dressing, eating, and toileting. Domestic ADLs include tasks such as housework, meal preparation, laundry, and food shopping.
All of these tasks use energy. There are ways of conserving energy when performing ADLs. For example, it may be helpful to sit down when showering or preparing a meal. If you live in a house with an upstairs toilet but spend most of your time downstairs, it may be helpful to use equipment like a commode or urine bottle to save using the stairs frequently. Adapting our home or working environments with assistive technology and equipment, can be used alongside energy conservation techniques such as pacing, to help make performing day to day tasks easier.
Everyone has different symptoms, needs, and home environments. Specific equipment cannot be generically recommended, as what may help one person may not help another. One size does not fits all. Our home environments must be considered when using any equipment to help with ADLs, to prevent potential hazards or risk of injury such as falls.
Occupational Therapists are rehabilitation professionals that provide practical support to empower people to facilitate recovery and overcome barriers preventing them from doing the activities (or occupations) that matter to them. An Occupational Therapist can assess your symptoms, needs and environment, to recommend strategies, modifications, and equipment to support you in performing ADLs.
You may be able to self-refer to Occupational Therapy, via your local health or social care provider. This can include social services or your General Practitioner (GP). Independent Occupational Therapist’s are also available, and you may need to pay for this service.
Below is useful information on how to access Occupational Therapy and equipment information.
UK Government:
Find your local council to help contact social services in your area
National Health Service (NHS):
Royal College of Occupational Therapy (RCOT):
Royal College of Occupational Therapy (RCOT):
Disabled Living Foundation:
National Health Service (NHS):
Age UK:
NRS Healthcare:
UK Government:
Disability equipment and transport; including disabled facilities grant, Blue Badge and support at work
UK Government:
If you no longer require disability equipment, visit this link to find out how and where to recycle.
The information on this page has kindly been provided by Occupational Therapists living with Long COVID.