As our loved ones age, we may find that they need some extra help doing things that once came easily, like getting dressed. But we don’t need to take over dressing completely to help our loved ones. There are some tricks we can employ to simplify getting dressed, so our aging family members maintain a greater sense of autonomy and have the tools to help themselves.
Three DIY tricks to making getting dressed easier are listed below. Your loved one will thank you for your time and ingenuity.
1. Easy Reach Clothes – If you find that mom or dad’s closet rod for hangers is mounted too high for them to reach well, and you can’t adjust it, try this simple trick. Take a clothes hanger and hang it from another clothes hanger. This makes the clothes hang lower than from the rod, since you’re using an extra hanger to bring them closer down. No step stool needed.
2. Zipper Pull Loop Adaptation – Tiny zippers on clothing can be a nuisance. As we age, our finger dexterity can diminish. So for older adults, grabbing smaller zippers could be problematic. The fix? Take a sturdy piece of thick string or twine, loop it though the zipper’s hole, and tie the ends of the string in a knot. This will create a loop through which your loved one can easily manipulate the zipper. Problem solved.
3. DIY Button Aid – We all have that one shirt – the one where the buttonholes just don’t seem large enough for the buttons. Spare your loved one some frustration and makes a tool for pulling buttons through buttonholes. Simply take a plastic spoon, a paperclip, and some tape. Unfold the paperclip until it has only one loop at the end. Use the tape to secure the paperclip to the end of the spoon. Voila! The paperclip end can now be inserted through the buttonhole to grab the button and pull it through to fasten. Problem solved.
