Dressing

• Sit to dress your lower half, especially putting on trousers, socks and shoes
• Experiment with other positions for dressing, for example lying down to put on trousers or underwear
• Fiddly zips and buttons can be replaced with Velcro^® for easy fastening (Velcro^® is best washed with both surfaces stuck together to prevent them picking up fluff and losing their stick)
• Slip-on shoes, or shoes with elasticated sides or ‘tongues’ or with zips are easy to get on
• Elastic shoelaces are available and much easier than conventional laces that may become untied
• Keep long handled shoe-horns in the bedroom and other rooms where you put on shoes or slippers
• Front-fastening garments (bras, skirts, dresses) are easier than those that fasten at the back. Stretchy materials are also easier to get on and take off
• A dressing stick and button hook can help with getting clothes on and fastening buttons. Use t-shirts and jumpers instead of shirts and blouses as much as possible if fastening buttons is a problem
• A ‘reacher’ or pick-up stick is useful for picking clothes up, or pulling up and removing underwear or trousers
• Sock and stocking aids are available to help with putting these on and with removal
• If you have difficulty getting your coat on, try sewing a loop with tape or ribbon inside the armhole you find hard to reach as this may make it easier to lift onto your shoulder
• If you use a wheelchair try to have smooth materials to sit on, avoiding pleats that may cause pressure sores. Breathable fabrics such as cotton are also advisable to minimise the risk of sweating caused by the plastic seat of many wheelchairs