I applied for social security disability for my husband in May of this year.
We received a letter from social security yesterday with a form called the daily living form.
Also the cover letter says they needed this filled out to find out what my husbands activities are on a daily basis.
It has basic questions like What do you do from the time you wake up until you go to bed? Do you go outside? Do you drive a car? Do you cook your own meals?
Questions like that.
Is this good or bad relating to the decision process?
We applied on the following conditions that he has
Severe depression
Bipolar
Very poor memory/blackouts
Back pain
Obesity
Bells Palsy

I got one when I applied, I think it is pretty standard. I answered all the questions as best I could. They are just trying to find out what his daily activities are and what he can do. They do use this in the decision so be careful to fill it out telling what his areas of trouble are.

It is a standard form. You fill it out with the initial application and then they ask you to do it again. I hate to say it, but you can't judge how it's going to go when asked to resubmit the form. My dh has been denied 3 times. Just make sure you keep copies of everything. I have no idea why they ask you to resubmit the same info but you'll want to make sure there aren't any discrepancies when you fill it out a second time - unless things have gotten worse. Good luck!

Yes yes yes,i cannot believe that forgot that.they DO make you fill out alot of the same forms again at different times.I finally started making copies of everything that was sent to them.Even copies of the letters and other stuff too.You just never know when you will need the same info twice when filling out all of the tons of paperwork.Marcia

Don't they also send a form that a close friend or relative has to fill out that asks some of the same questions?

Hi,

I received that form in the early stages of my social security disability application. I believe they want to see just how much a person is able to do during the day.

Don't be disappointed if it takes awhile. Keep appealing if you get denied.

I applied in Jan 2003. I was not approved until Feb 2005. I had to go before a judge before I was approved. So don't give up.

Good Luck,

Kay

Yes(its amazing just how much I forgot in such a short time,must be my meds,lol)my mom and my husband both had to fill out forms which can really only help your case.They both mentioned alot about how badly my depression had gotten and how it just slowly progressed as my health deteriorated.luckily my mom was really good with words.I had to help my husband though(go figure?).Marcia

The activities of daily living (ADL) forms are used to either substantiate or debunk your disability allegations.
If you say you're having back problems but report in your ADLs that you can take out your own trash, drive, go grocery shopping without ambulation aides, walk for miles, etc, then your credibility will be questioned. If you allege a mental disability but state you get along well with others, are able to perform calculations (i.e., make change, pay bills, balance checkbook; this is moreso for SE or MR allegations), can do attention sustaining activities, etc, then, again, your credibility will be questioned.
Applicants are asked to fill out the forms with each filing or review because ADLs change during the course of an illness.
It is standard in some states to send a 3rd party ADL form to whomever you indicated as your alternate contact if you allege a mental disability.
I would caution anyone from making their ADLs overly limited if the limitation s are not accurate. Often, your ADLs are recorded other places in your medical records. Those things that seem like small talk during a doctor's appointment have a funny way of popping up in records and bitting people in the ***. Medical records often indicate whether you drove to the appointment, if you are working and the type of work you do, if you are med compliant, if you exercise, etc. If there is a discrepancy between your ADLs and what medical sources are reporting about your ADLs, this will also erode your credibility.

Hi Okiemom2005! Feelbad had it right. Copy EVERYTHING before you send it in. I did the same thing. I don't mean to sound bossy so please forgive me if I do, but make a very special folder and put everything that refers to the disability claim and case in that folder so you can go back to it at any given needed time. Best thing you can do so you'll know everything you ever said or wrote to them! I'm sure you already do that but just tossing that tidbit out there!

I had to fill out a ton of those daily activity forms myself. I receive SSDI for many mental issues and I am also bipolar and suffer from severe depression. In fact, one thing that one of the reviewers said to me sticks out in my mind. At one point, I was sitting at her desk after turning in a bunch of paperwork, which included one of those, and she was reading over it all, and in one of the questions, she commented that one of my answers was very truthful and would really help my claim. I looked at her puzzled and said, "what do you mean?" because all I did was be truthful on it. She said when asked if I cleaned my own home, I wrote "yes, in fact when on a bipolar mania I clean crevices and corners with toothbrushes. And when depressed, I might not clean at all." Sounds ridiculous and a bit humorous to write but she said it was truthful and to the point and showed that I wasn't trying to paint some picture that was false. So when they read those, they aren't looking for what we think they want to hear. I don't know why I just wrote all that down. I'm sorry for rambling. I know when I first saw that daily acitivity form it scared me because I thought - oh gosh they are going to expect me to be a recluse or just sit around and stare before they'll approve me. I knew I couldn't work right now because of my condition because I'm with myself 24/7 and know what I go through, but didn't know how to convey it. But they see through that. I guess that is what I was trying to point out. I apologize if I have written too much. Just trying to comfort you on the daily activities sheet. I think it will be a helpful thing for your case.

Oh, and yes...they will send a daily acitivy observance form a close family member, likely you, to fill out as well - which is a good thing - so you can say what you see him go through.

All in all they are really going to focus on what the doctor records say. Of course you know that. I think your case will do well. It sounds promising for a win to me. Good luck with everything and if I spouted off too much, I apologize! Sometimes I do that! Good luck!

-Follen.