Which of the following is NOT an activity of daily living (ADL)?

Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) typically refer to the basic tasks that are essential for self-care and are usually categorized into two groups: basic ADLs and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs). Basic ADLs include fundamental self-care tasks such as bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring, and feeding. These activities are crucial for personal hygiene and mobility.

Bathing and feeding are clear examples of basic ADLs, as they involve personal care and maintenance. Cleansing, while a less common term, tends to refer to similar activities that maintain hygiene, often interpreted within the context of basic self-care routines.

Cooking, however, is classified as an instrumental activity of daily living (IADL), which encompasses more complex skills needed for independent living, such as managing finances, shopping, meal preparation, and house cleaning. Although cooking is important for maintaining a household and overall well-being, it does not fall into the realm of basic self-care that ADLs represent. This distinction makes cooking the correct answer as the activity that is NOT an ADL.