Since the development of the Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living, ADL tools have been used to describe older persons' status and to predict outcomes. It is suggested that this approach is grounded in an ADL research tradition. An alternative that is based upon Husserl's phenomenology is proposed. A phenomenological study of older widows' lived experience is described. Distinctions between phenomenological inquiry and the ADL research tradition are addressed in terms of focus (tasks vs. lived experience) and interpretation of key terms such as independence.