Dressing Assistance
The mental and physical ability to select and dress oneself in proper clothes for different occasions and appropriately for the weather is a basic Activity of Daily Living (ADLs).
Our Service
Our caregivers are trained and experienced in helping choose appropriate clothing and assisting with dressing as required by the situation.
We encourage our clients to dress as much as possible and help where help is needed.
Using adaptive equipment such as a button hook and shoehorn to ease dressing.
You may know your loved one needs assistance getting dressed or have noticed these signs:
Changes in Physical Function
• Difficulty getting up from a seated position or difficulty with walking, balance and mobility and make it impossible to put on socks, underwear, or pull up pants.
• Vision issues may cause Mom not to notice that the dress she wants to wear is dirty and stained.
• Buttons, belts, and zippers can become difficult and tying shoes impossible.
Changes in Mental Status
• Inappropriate clothing choices, such as a heavy coat in hot weather or shorts/t-shirt in winter.
These issues can be temporary or long-term.
Family Caregiver Dressing Tips
Our caregivers are professionals with the training and experience in dressing your loved one.
These are our tips for the family caregiver dressing their loved one:
• Follow a routine and tell them what you are doing prior to doing it.
• Dress the person from a seated position.
• Encourage the person to dress as much as possible and help them where help is needed. For example, they may not be able to put on pants or underwear, but they may be able to pull them up once they are above the knees.
• Before you begin, lay out the clothes in the order in which it will be put on. Underwear would be on top, and pants/shirts would be on the bottom. If necessary, cue the person by telling him/her what piece of clothing will be put on next.
• Do not rush the person by pulling clothes on or off, but keep a steady pace. Especially in cases of Alzheimer’s or Dementia, if the process takes too long an issue may arise before they are completely dressed.
• Dress their weaker side first.
• Buy clothes that are easy to put on and take off, that are soft and stretchable, such as pants with elastic waistbands, and shoes that close with Velcro or slip-on shoes. A skirt or loose-fitting dress can be easier for a woman to put on and pull up when using the bathroom. Clothing that fastens in the front is easier to put on than clothing that goes over the head.
• Empty the closet of clothes that are no longer appropriate or too difficult to put on and take off. This will make it easier to choose an outfit without being distracted by too many choices.
• Use bras that open and close in the front.
• Use tube socks.
• A person with dementia will often want to wear the same outfit for many days. Buying duplicate outfits can help the caregiver change clothes without a fight. When taking clothes off at night, put the dirty clothes in the laundry, so they are not seen in the morning when the person is dressing.
Additional Family Caregiver Resources
For additional Family Caregiver tips please see our extensive Directory of Online Senior and Caregiver Resources for the information you need.
About Unique HomeCare Services
Our headquarters in Norwood, Massachusetts serves the Greater Boston communities in Suffolk, Middlesex, Norfolk, Bristol and Plymouth counties.
We provide private in-home care for elders, those with Alzheimer’s or Dementia, and people who are recuperating from illness, injury, or surgery.
We provide both short-term and long-term in-home care needs from as little as one 4 hour day a week to 24 Hour Care and Live-In Care.
We offer a full range of in-home personal care services including Bathing Assistance, Personal Hygiene and Grooming, Dressing Assistance, Toileting and Incontinence Assistance, Feeding Assistance, and Medication Reminders.
We also provide support services such as Case Management, Accompaniment to Appointments, Nutrition and Meal Management, Light Housekeeping and Laundry Services, Bed and Wheel Chair Transfers, and Shopping and Running Errands.
It is our pleasure to assist our veteran clients with VA Aid and Attendance Benefit approval at no cost.
To schedule a no cost and no obligation In-Home Assessment to determine the home care needs and get a quote, please call us to speak to a Case Manager at (800) 296-9962 or fill out our Free Quote Contact Form.