Functional@Home: Dressing for Older Adults
When your hands don’t work like they used to, your daily routines can become frustrating. As we age, the loss of joint function or dexterity in our hands can affect many different areas of life, like dressing. Today, we will talk about how to arrange a dressing space. I will highlight a few best practices, devices, and tools that might be worth considering if you or someone you care for is struggling with their dressing routines.
The Space
Proper lighting
Adjustable closet systems
Organized space
A place to sit
Mirror
Clothes horse
A Well-Planned Dressing Space
Good lighting in your dressing space is key. Avoid fumbling for clothes in a poorly lit space: add additional lighting with lamps and motion sensor lights. Good lighting is important in preventing trips and falls.
Install closet systems that can be adjusted for accessibility. Use of features such as pull-out drawers, baskets, and fold-down racks.
Aim for order over chaos. Having a place for everything, and everything in its place, saves time and energy. Use large, high-contrast, clear labels (forgo the fancy fonts for something readable!) This will make identifying items, and putting them away, so much easier. It also helps caregivers or family members to know where things belong.
Having a chair or stool in your dressing area is a must. Make sure that it is a study piece of furniture with neat legs that do not pose a tripping hazard. Sit on a chair or stool when you need to take a break, pull up tights or trousers, or put on shoes.
A full-length mirror offers a visual guide, making it easier to see what you are doing.
Struggling to make decisions about what to wear, and then having difficulty getting clothes on, is no way to start the day. Our fingers don’t work faster when we are rushed or stressed; patience may run low and frustrations high. Lay out your clothes the day before, or have a carer do this for you. A clotheshorse is a great tool.
The Tools
Dressing aids
Grab bar
Time keeping and orientation aids
Step-by-step instructions
Get Dressed For Success: Top Tools
Use a long-handled shoehorn to avoid strain on fingers or if you have difficulty with dexterity. Have a back-up short-handled shoehorn near the chair or stool you sit on to put your shoes on.
A dressing stick is a nifty device that acts as an extension to your arms, and can be a help when putting on shirts, coats, or sweaters when there is loss of strength or mobility of the arms. Some dressing sticks have a shoehorn on one end, making it a great two-in-one tool to add to your dressing routine.
If you have limited strength or movement in your fingers, buttons can prove very frustrating! Hook and loop fastenings are a great option, but not all buttons are replaceable. Try a buttoning tool with an enlarged handle to help hook those buttons through their holes.
Installing a grab bar could be a great solution for someone who needs assistance to stand up. It is safer that pulling up on furniture.
A dementia clock, a regular clock, or even an Alexa device are helpful tools to assist with orientation, keep track of the time and date, and even finding out about the weather so clothing choices are appropriate. Dementia clocks can often be loaded with reminders of the days appointments.
Step-by-step instructions, wither written or pictorial, are helpful aids when planning skills are reduced or higher order thinking is diminished.