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Assistive Dressing Aids

Assistive dressing aids are devices that help a person to independently dress and undress themselves. Many elderly people and individuals with muscular or neurological issues are in need of a device to help them to dress themselves. The individual may have issues with hand/body strength or range of motion of the upper and/or lower extremity or spinal column. Due to these deficits it may become difficult for some people to button their pants, put socks on or put a shirt on in the morning. It has been noted that in 2004, 28% of the elderly were using assistive devices for dressing purposes. There are many devices that are available to help the person to complete these tasks. But sometimes, it may be necessary to consult with a physical therapist to use the device appropriately or to help the person to form techniques in order to dress independently.

Shoes and Socks Shoes and socks can be especially difficult for an individual to put on if they are unable to grip the sock, have problems bending over far enough to reach their foot, or do not have the dexterity to tie a shoe. In order to put a shoe or sock on, one must have the ability to either bend over and reach their feet with their hands or bring their foot close enough to their hands in order to reach. A sock aid can be used to grab the sock with the device and reach to the foot in order to put it on. Long handled shoe horns are used to assist in putting a shoe on the foot. It helps to keep the back of the shoe straight and flat so that the individual can slide their foot into the shoe easily. Velcro is a common assistive device that is used in order to allow for a shoe to stay on the foot, but it does not need fine motor skills to keep on.

Pants/Shirts Pants can have similar difficulty as shoes and socks as it requires the person to reach the pants around their feet. Reachers/grabbers or dressing hook can be used to help in pulling the pants over the feet. Dexterity in the hands may make small buttons and zippers cumbersome. Elastic or Velcro waistbands in pants can be useful in these cases. However, a button hook can be necessary when wanting to wear a garment that has buttons. This type of device will slide through the button hole in order to loop around the button in order to pull through the hole.

Bras/Ties Hand dexterity and range of motion in the body is a common theme in difficulties dressing. Bras may be difficult to put on because of range of motion or dexterity. If a front opening bra is not available, it may be necessary to clasp the bra in the front and rotate the clasp to the back before putting the straps on. It may also be necessary to buy a bra that has larger clasps, in order to put on. Ties are also problematic, since they require hand dexterity to tie the knot. Clip on ties or pre-tying the tie before putting in on can help.

Summary There are many assistive devices that can used to help an individual dress independently. Some simple techniques provided by a physical therapist may be all someone needs in order to complete the task. However, with increased deficits in range of motion, strength or hand dexterity, a tool may be needed depending on the individual.