How Can You Make Getting Dressed Easier for Your Senior?

If your elderly family member is having more difficulty with getting dressed, she may be frustrated or even embarrassed about asking for help. Here are some ideas that can help.

 

Elderly Care in Northbrook IL: Make Getting Dressed Easier

Elderly Care in Northbrook IL: Make Getting Dressed Easier

 

Assess Her Wardrobe

The first step is to take a look at your elderly family member’s entire wardrobe. Are there clothes that no longer fit? Or some other clothes that are difficult for her to wear? These may be clothes that are simply uncomfortable but could also include clothing with buttons or other fasteners that are difficult to operate.

 

Assess Her Needs

Next, take a look at what your senior really needs. If she needs easy, loose-fitting clothing, then that’s something that all of her clothes need to address. There are other factors, too. Clothing that’s easy to match may be of bigger importance now than in the past. Patterns could be confusing or upsetting for her if she’s experiencing cognitive changes, for example.

 

Make Some Changes

Now that you know what your senior’s clothing consists of and what she really needs, it’s time to make some changes. In some cases, tailoring might solve the issues your elderly family member has with her clothing. But for the most part, this might mean your elderly family member needs to say goodbye to some clothing that no longer serves her and tries out some pieces that meet her needs more effectively.

 

Set up a Routine for Getting Dressed

It may also be helpful for you and your elderly family member to set up a new routine for getting dressed. This can be especially important if your senior is developing cognitive issues or is resistant to changing her clothes on a regular basis. This might involve choosing clothes with her the night before and then laying them out in a way that makes them easier to put on.

 

Consider Hiring Some Help

If your elderly family member is experiencing more difficulty with getting dressed than you can help with, then elder care providers are a great answer. They can help your elderly family member to get dressed, handle other grooming tasks, and they can help in a variety of other ways, too. This is a perfect solution if you’re not able to be there with your senior as often as you would like to be.

Making some small changes to your senior’s wardrobe periodically can help to alleviate frustration for you and for her. You may also be able to help her to continue dressing herself far longer than she expects to be able to do so, simply because you’re eliminating problems as they crop up.

 

If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Elderly Care in Northbrook, IL, call the caring staff at LifeCare Home Health & In-Home Services. Call (888) 606-4199 LifeCare serves all of the Chicago Metro Area.

LifeCare Home Health & In-Home Services