As an adult independence is everything. It is imperative to help your senior adult maintain their independence for as long as possible. In order to alleviate some common problems with self-care here are 5 tips to help your senior adult get dressed and maintain their independence.
1.Allow extra time
As with anything proper planning makes for smooth execution. Give your senior adult ample time to get dressed. The lack of rushing will mean less accidents and things to correct. Moving slowly will enable senior adults with cognitive or physical disabilities to move at their own pace decreasing pain or confusion in the dressing process. Less mistakes will build confidence in your senior adult and make for confidence in other areas of self-care.
2. Minimize and simplify choices
While your senior adult may want to put on the ritz from time to time save that for special occasions. Give you senior adult a few choices to help them maintain a sense of independence, while eliminating the obstacle of what to wear and tackling complicated styles. Staying with what is seasonably appropriate and easy to put on will help your senior adult maintain their independence. Elimination of complicated styles can also help your senior adult stay comfortable and be more active throughout the day leading to independence in their daily routine. While going through choices you can also go through and get rid of to big or too small clothing, which could possibly pose a fall risk or other problems for your senior adult.
3.Check for medical problems and issues
To help your senior adult look and feel their best it is imperative to look and check for skin issues while dressing. Catching a problem early on is a great way to help your senior adult stay independent and active for as long as possible. As with anything it is much easier to treat a small problem than a big one. Elimination of big problems will keep your senior adult up and moving, as well as staying independent.
4.Figure out a system that works
For senior adults that may be combative due to cognitive disabilities it is crucial to find a system that works for them. Experiment with different timing and your approach to getting dressed. Maybe your senior adult feels more comfortable with you approaching them from in front with their clothes in your hand. If they have difficulty seeing you or are surprised, they could easily become scared or confused. Proper planning and approach will put your senior adults mind at ease, making tasks easy and simple to follow through with.
5. Invest in adaptive clothing
Many people are unaware of the advancements in so called “adaptive clothing”, clothing designed to minimize buckles snaps and other features that may make it difficult to get dressed. Invest in a few pieces in order to help your senior adult feel independent and capable. New and eye-catching designs are constantly being created so there is definitely a style for just about everyone. Currently there are a wide range of styles designed to look like regular fashions and designs, so no one will notice. For a senior adult that perhaps doesn’t want people to notice these designs are the way to go.