What Are the Benefits of Adaptive Clothing
There are different ways adaptive clothing can benefit seniors. Since the beginning, adaptive clothing was designed to help individuals who had trouble getting dressed. Buttons and zippers could be difficult to handle whether because of limited motion or problems with closures. The primary purpose of adaptive clothing is to make independent dressing more accessible to anyone who might benefit, including people caring for someone.
Independence: As we age our ability to be more mobile diminishes. This is especially true for seniors or those with a disability. Fine motor skills which were taken for granted have become compromised and buttoning a shirt can be problematic. Putting on pants, shirts, and jackets might be easy enough but managing the buttons, hooks and zippers becomes impossible and frustrating. Using Velcro and easy to use magnetic snaps, that look just like buttons, makes it easier for individuals to maintain independence and ease when dressing. No one wants to lose their independence and easy closures help make that possible.
Pain Reduction: Wearing regular clothing can be problematic for seniors who find some clothing painful. Tags in clothing can be irritating on sensitive skin. Thick seams can add pressure to the skin especially when lying down or relaxing. Tight clothing is difficult to manipulate and painful to wear. Soft fabric with smooth seams or seamless garments that are tag-less, can make dressing far less painful.
Time Saving: It takes most of us a minute or two to get dressed. Someone with mobility issues can struggle for a long time to get dressed. That frustration can lead to feeling defeated or depressed. Imagine getting a shirt on, but not being able to button it. Putting pants on is easy, but then you can't zipper them. That is irritating, and often leads to setbacks when it comes to building independence. Adaptive clothing can help take the frustration out of dressing making it a timelier process. A few simple changes such as magnetic closures and Velcro tabs can be of huge help to someone who is struggling. What is amazing is that the closures are so well hidden, they look just like regular clothing.
Self-Respect: Being able to dress oneself has always been a mark of independence. Children are so proud when they put on their own socks, shirts or pants for the first time. It can be very depressing for someone with dexterity issues to be dependent when getting themselves get dressed. Wide pullover openings, open backs for shirts, and side openings for pants help give a person the ability to be independent for as long as possible. Preserving dignity is vital for a positive mind frame, for anyone needing assistance.
Easy Monitoring: As we age, we slowly loose the use of our faculties. Incontinence, bulky surgical equipment, or tender incisions needing to be checked, might prompt the need for clothing that has easy access. There are open back designs and other solutions that assist with this need. Using these adaptive clothing solutions for easy access, limits having to undress completely, giving an efficient, positive and dignified experience.
These are just some of the ideas to keep in mind in order to be better caregivers for a family member or patient. We must try to keep the respect with which we deal with others forefront. Treating them with dignity will only have a positive outcome.
