Assistive devices: Dressing aids

As your condition progresses, you may find everyday tasks such as getting dressed increasingly challenging. Dressing may take more time and effort or you may need help from family or a caregiver. There are many tools that can be used to reduce the energy needed and give you back your independence with dressing.

Dressing stick: Used to pull up pants, zippers, or to remove pants/socks.

Sock aid: Eliminates the need to bend over or lift your leg to put a sock on.

Long handled shoe horn: Reduces the need to bend over to put your shoes on.

Foot funnel: A plastic piece that fits over the heel of the shoe, making it easy to slip your foot into the shoe without getting caught on the heel.

Elastic no tie shoelaces: Make any shoe a slip on with these.

Reacher: Can be used to help thread your legs into pants if you have trouble putting them on.

Button hook/zipper pull: Arthritis, tremors, or loss of dexterity can turn buttoning a shirt into an impossible  task. It has a hook on the alternate end to aid in zipper management. You can even use this button hook with only one hand.

Pants clip: Do your pants or underwear fall to your ankles upon standing when dressing or after using the bathroom? This clip that attaches to your shirt and to your pants while seated so that you can pull them up worry free in standing.

Zipper pulls: A loop that attaches to your zip for easier grasp.

Don’t want to add additional tools into your home? Consider adding adaptive clothing options to your closet. Adaptive clothing is designed to make dressing and undressing more manageable. Some examples are:

• Pants with elastic waistbands instead of buttons/zippers
• Magnetic closures for shirts/sweaters instead of buttons
• Velcro closures instead of laces