Adaptive Dressing

You probably take for granted your ability to dress yourself.  Sometimes, however, people gradually or suddenly lose the ability to dress.  Putting on and taking off clothing or engaging closures like buttons/zippers becomes impossible to do independently.  Strategies and equipment are available to help you perform these tasks yourself.

If you have issues with:

• Fatigue/lack of energy – dress/undress sitting down, take breaks after each piece of clothing, breathe properly throughout the task
• Weakness in an arm/leg – begin by placing your weaker limb in the piece of clothing and follow with the stronger side. 
•  Vision – sew or attach identifying  braille tags or even specific button shapes into a non-irritating spot, like a lower hem, to aid in properly matching or identifying clothes
• Balance – sit in a wide chair with arm rests to dress and undress.  Lean side to side while pulling your underwear and pants over your hips 

If you have trouble getting on:

• Shoes – Try slip on shoes or use a long handled shoehorn  and/or a “reacher” to pull on the shoe. 
• Laces – Try velcro, elastic laces, “lock laces” instead of regular laces 

• Socks/Stockings – Try a sock donner aid like in the pictures.

• Pants – Use a dressing stick or “reacher” to extend your reach & get the clothes over your feet

• Buttons – Try a button hook.  You may also sew a  magnetic button adaptor into your clothing.

• Zippers – Use a zipper pull.  To make it easier to pull, attach something to the end of the zipper like a keyring.  Larger zippers such as on a ski coats are easier to engage

• Belts – Try adaptive Velcro belts.