Lawton IADL Scale Calculator (Instrumental Activities of Daily Living)
Score the Lawton–Brody Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) scale — telephone, shopping, cooking, housework, laundry, transport, medicines and money — 0 to 8 with the level of dependence.
How it works
Each of 8 domains scores 1 if the person functions at the listed level and 0 if not; Lawton IADL = sum, 0 (low function, dependent) to 8 (high function, independent). In the original men’s version food preparation, housekeeping and laundry are left out (0–5). Commonly used bands (0–8): 8 independent · 6–7 mild · 4–5 moderate · 2–3 severe · 0–1 total dependence.
The Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale (Lawton and Brody, 1969) measures the more complex skills needed to live independently in the community — using the telephone, shopping, cooking, housekeeping, laundry, travel, medicines and money. It complements basic ADL scales such as the Katz Index and the Barthel Index, and is most useful for spotting early decline and planning support. The instrument has no single validated cut-off; the dependence bands shown are the ones widely used in geriatric practice, and the score is best tracked over time for the same person.
Worked example
A woman uses the phone on her own (1), shops only for small items (0), cooks full meals (1), does light housework (1), does her own laundry (1), uses public transport only when accompanied (1), takes medicines only from a prepared pill box (0) and needs help with banking (1): Lawton IADL = 6 / 8 — mild dependence, with help needed in 2 domains.
Sources: Lawton MP, Brody EM. Assessment of older people: self-maintaining and instrumental activities of daily living. Gerontologist 1969 · Graf C. The Lawton IADL Scale — Try This: Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing, Issue 23
Frequently asked questions
What is a normal Lawton IADL score?
8 out of 8 (or 5 out of 5 in the original men’s version) means full independence. Lower scores mean help is needed; the score is most meaningful when compared with the same person’s earlier results.
Why were men scored out of 5?
In 1969 cooking, housekeeping and laundry were rarely done by older men, so they were left out of the men’s score. Most services now score all eight domains for everyone, which is the default here.
What is the difference between ADL and IADL?
Basic ADLs (Katz, Barthel) are self-care tasks such as bathing, dressing and eating. Instrumental ADLs are the more complex tasks of living alone — shopping, cooking, transport, medicines and money — and they are usually lost earlier in dementia and frailty.
Who should complete the Lawton scale?
A clinician, the person themselves or a family carer who knows their routine. Score what the person actually does now, not what they could do in theory.
Related calculators
Clinical decision tool for education and for use by trained clinicians alongside clinical judgement — not a diagnosis and not a substitute for medical assessment. Scores validated in specific populations may not apply to every patient.