Music And Art Activities
Dressing & Grooming Aids
1. A button hook and zipper pull combo has a large handle making it easy to hold while assisting with small buttons and zippers
2. Tylastic shoelaces are elastic shoelaces that allow you to tie the laces once and then slip the shoes on and off after that
3. A longer shoehorn allows you to slip into shoes without bending down or crushing the backs of the shoes
4. Use a universal holder to make it easier to hold a toothbrush, utensil, or pen during use
Button Hook with Zipper Pull
Problems With Dressing And Practical Help
People with dementia may have difficulties dressing. As well as making choices, physically putting on clothing can be more difficult, especially if they have any mobility issues. It may help to look for clothes that are easy to put on and take off.
This may be clothes with larger neck and arm openings, front fastenings, Velcro fastenings, magnetic buttons or poppers rather than buttons or no fastenings or to make some adaptations to the clothes they already have.
You could use photographs of outfits to give the person a prompt of what goes with what, or make choices about what they wear, which will help them to feel like themselves.
What a person with dementia wears may help them understand where they are and what they are doing. For example, if they are dressed formally they may think they need to go to work. If they are dressed in clothing they usually relax in, this will remind them that they are not at work. Similarly, wearing nightwear may make the person think that it is time for bed. It is good to change into day-wear even if they are not going out or having visitors, to maintain a sense of routine.
If someone is not enjoying wearing something it may cause them distress or discomfort. This could be because it is physically uncomfortable, they are sensitive to certain textures, they dont like it, or it is new and seems unfamiliar.
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Q: Why Do Some Dementia Patients Take Off Their Clothes
A: Most people who suffer from dementia prefer to take off their clothes due to discomfort. They may feel too hot or too cold at times. On the other hand, if the clothes are too tight, they will try to take off the clothes even in public to feel comfortable.
Disorientation is another reason for taking their clothes off at inappropriate times. For example, your senior may be confused about the time of day and believe that he or she should be getting ready for a bath or for bed.
In fact, they may believe that they are already in the bathroom or bedroom and take their clothes off in the process.
People with dementia or Alzheimers confuse the identity of people. For example, they may believe that a caregiver is their wife and behave in such a way. You should be aware of these factors and get some quality adaptive clothing for your older adult.
Principles For Assisting With Adls
Here are some general principles for assisting someone with activities of daily living, such as dressing.
Remember that an attractive appearance is important to self-esteem, and dressing is a great opportunity to promote autonomy and independence, and increase self-esteem for the person with dementia. Maximize individual abilities and minimize disabilities by encouraging self-care rather than doing the activity for them. Encourage people to use their remaining abilities by doing as much for themselves as possible while maintaining their safety and security. Reinforce effort and show appreciation by giving praise for both successful and unsuccessful efforts.
Because dressing is such a personal activity, caregivers need to allow individuals to do as much for themselves as they are comfortable and capable of doing. For example, caregivers should always offer to let the persons put on their own undergarments. If it is necessary for caregivers to assist with those things, they should always ask permission. One can say something like, Its time to put on your undergarments, is it alright if I help you put on your bra? Give the person choices appropriate to the level of the persons abilities, but not so many that they become frustrated. Examples of choices include what color sweater or skirt wear.
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How Does Adaptive Clothing Help Seniors With Dementia Or Alzheimers
Adaptive clothing is specially designed to meet the needs of seniors with dementia and Alzheimers. These people require an easier and more accessible way to get dressed. The dress, pants, or shirt should be easy to put on and take off.
On the other hand, these clothes should be comfortable to wear. In fact, well-designed adaptive clothing grants greater independence and allows the seniors to dress themselves, despite any health and cognitive challenges.
Style is another important factor to consider when choosing adaptive clothing for your older adult with dementia or Alzheimers.
A recent Applied Ergonomics study confirmed that looking good encourages self-confidence in social and physical activities no matter the age of the individual. Seniors who are socially connected enjoy better health benefits.
On the other hand, adaptive clothing lessens confusion and discourages untimely undressing.
Dressing Dementia Patients: 5 Things To Know
May 27, 2021
Getting dressed and basic grooming may seem simple when you have your health, but for those with medical conditions, it can be a trial in itself. Those who are recovering from surgery and those who face chronic pain and health problems understand just how challenging the daily ritual of getting dressed can be. For those who suffer from Alzheimers disease or dementia, basic self-care is one of the hardest things to maintain as the condition progresses. As a caregiver, loved one, or spouse of those living with dementia, there are some critical tips to keep in mind. We have put together a list of the 5 things you need to know about dressing a person with Alzheimers disease or dementia.
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Good Design Elements Include Lighting And Color And Contrast
Good lighting and contrasting colors are important elements of dementia friendly design. David McNair of the Dementia Centre describes four elements of good lighting1:
- To compensate for aging and dementia affected eyes, establish two times the recommended level of lighting in your home
- Use daylight as much as possible, keeping curtains open throughout the day
- Use home style lighting, such as table lamps or wall mounted lights, vs. a large overhead light that might make one feel like he is in an institution and
- Lighting should match the cycle of natural day to night. This helps circadian rhythm and will help maintain a quality sleep pattern.
Color and contrast are also important for us to see things better. For instance, placing a plain white dinner plate over a green placemat will create higher contrast and help your loved one see the plate and the food. Colored switch plates against a white wall, vs. white against white, is another example of contrast and will help your loved one see the light switch. With these elements in mind, lets go room by room to see what we can do to make them dementia friendly2.
Provide Choice But Reduce Decisions
The above phrase may sound contradictory, but the idea is that you provide enough choice that the person with dementia doesnt feel too restricted, but not so many decisions that they feel overwhelmed and unsure where to start.
For example, picking clothes and outfits can sometimes prove to be a difficult area for people with dementia. Often, theyll be faced with a variety of different outfits in their wardrobe and not really know where to start, so they either put on exactly the same clothes as they were wearing the day before , or theyll head out in the first clothes they see or ones that arent suitable, such as pyjamas or shorts and sandals in winter.
Instead, its better to provide a choice of two outfits, hung outside their wardrobe which is suitable for the season. That way, they still have choice, but not so much that making a decision will leave them agitated or stressed.
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Six Ways To Help Your Relative With Dementia Get Dressed
Six ways to help your relative with dementia get dressed
Getting dressed is a very personal and private activity. When people start to have difficulty with it, they often feel frustrated and embarrassed and are reluctant to accept help. Who wants to get dressed in front of someone else, or be dressed another person? Struggles with caregivers like you can be common.
And dressing is a surprisingly complex task! Many steps and decisions are involved: deciding what to wear, selecting specific pieces of clothing, remembering the order of getting dressedwhat to put on first, second, etc.and coordinating the movements of our limbs with the clothing. And we have to be able to focus long enough to accomplish all these steps.
These are skills that dementia can diminish or take away altogether. As dementia progresses, a person may not be able to:
- remember the last time she changed her clothes
- identify items of clothing, confusing a jacket for a sweater
- recognize or coordinate parts of the body
- sequence the steps of getting dressed in the right order
- know what is appropriate for weather conditions or social events
- manage buttons and zippers
- have the energy to get dressed or undressed
How can you help make getting dressed easier? Here are six strategies that we have seen work for families struggling with dressing challenges.
Less Pressure And Pain
Wearing conventional clothing is difficult and even painful for many people, especially those with restricted movement. If you sit or lie down for long periods, heavy fabric seams, such as those seen in denim pants, can strain your body. Joint pain patients may find it difficult to get into and out of tight normal clothing.
Furthermore, everyday clothes may put far more stress on the surgical wound or rub against it, causing discomfort and agony in post-operative patients. Because of this, adapted clothing has minimum seams for maximum comfort and broad openings to make dressing easier, especially for those with restricted joint movement.
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Boosts Familys Or Caregivers Confidence
It can be upsetting to see someone experience difficulty dressing themselves. And if youre the one assisting them and theyre still dissatisfied with the dressing procedure, that discouragement will simply grow. Adaptive clothes, on the other hand, can provide caregivers and patients families confidence in their capacity to care for the patient as long as feasible at home.
The Living Room/family Room
- Increase lighting as needed for safety. Place lamps where safe, and use wall mounted lighting where possible.
- Make sure seating is comfortable and at appropriate height for ease when sitting and standing.
- Place the TV remote in visible reach, keeping them in the same place.
- Place memorabilia that trigger positive memories such as photos of family, events, holidays.
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Closet Organization Tips For Your Elderly Parents
Fold sweaters on shelves in baskets: If you have lots of shelves in your closet, using large baskets for sweaters and other shirts will keep the items contained. Small items like t-shirts and different things work great as well. I found that hats and scarves make it easy to stay organized when I use large containers like these below.
Use armoires or freestanding closets: If you do not have a traditional closet, using an armoire works nicely. Make sure it has at least a few shelves to hold sweaters and other foldable pieces of clothing. The drawers should easily open and close. Store items in here that are not easily wrinkled.
Add extra rod to the bottom of the other rods: If you have closets that primarily have rods and you need more hanging space, you can add this item below. I found it on Amazon. Be sure that your shelving and rods in your closet are affixed to studs in the wall. Too much weight on the rod may pull it away from the wall and collapse your entire closet organizers.
Use lever indoor closet door handles: If you have a walk-in closet, making sure you have a lever door handle will help you not get trapped in the closet. The image below is an example of an interior closet lever door hand from Amazon.com. It is an affiliate link. If you buy any of these items from Amazon, I will receive a referral commission for referring you to this product.
Organizing Tips To Make Your Home Dementia Friendly
Theres no question that we all need a certain amount of organization in our daily lives. After all, this gives you some kind of peace and control. And when you live with or are taking care of someone with dementia, this becomes even more important. Learn how to organize your home to make it safe and friendly for those living with dementia.
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Why People With Dementia Develop Problems With Dressing
Often, the person living with dementia copes with confusion and memory loss by adhering to a routine. Routines in dementia can be comforting and feel safe for the person, such as wearing the same outfit every day.
Because dementia affects the physical functioning of a person as the disease progresses, it can become more difficult to physically handle the task of dressing as well.
Dressing can also be an area where a loved one tries to maintain her independence by choosing her own clothing. When this ability begins to decrease, she may cling to it despite the difficulties as a way to make her own choices.
Simplify And Get Rid Of Clutter
For many individuals, this is easier said than done. For example, many families tell us that they tried to clean up the kitchen for mom and throw out some of the unnecessary items, spoiled food, etc., but she became very argumentative and aggressive and told them to stop! Every person will react to your trying to help in a different way, so here are some tips you can try. Approach the person in a kind and gentle manner and ask if you can help tidy up a bit. Make sure to get the persons input dont just start throwing away things without asking. Provide choices about what to throw away and what to keep. Many people with dementia like to be of service to others. Find a local charity that could really use the items you are de-cluttering and ask the person with dementia to help this organization by donating some of their items. You may need to ask a friend or family member to invite the person with dementia on an outing for a few hours one day a week for a few weeks so you can go in and clean and organize things little by little. Often if you do this gradually, the person with dementia will not realize the changes or be upset by then. If you cant do this on your own, consider hiring a professional organizer to help you.
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Make Everyday Tasks Easier
This “memory bench” is used by a person living with dementia to organize the things she needs for each day.
Many people with early-stage dementia continue to manage their everyday activities. But its important to look ahead to a time when performing daily tasks will be harder. The sooner you adopt new strategies to help you cope with changes, the more time you will have to adjust to them. Here are some tips:
For more suggestions on living independently, see Aging in Place: Growing Older at Home.
Tips For Organizing Outings For Dementia Patients
Alzheimers can bring in some unsettling behavior that make it stressful for a caregiver to go out in public with someone who has the disease. As a family caregiver, one is always looking for ways to improve the quality of life of their loved one. With the weather quickly turning towards warmth and sunshine, one great way to do so is to take trips into the outdoor world.
Outings are important activities for seniors with dementia, but can sometimes cause agitation or confusion, along with making wanderingbehavior harder to control. As the disease progresses, social gatherings or parties may eventually be out of the question. However, if your loved one is able, try to involve them in family gatherings and other events if possible. As for many people in the earlier stages of Alzheimers/ dementia disease, having an activity and or outing can reduce agitation and boredom.
Some of the other benefits of outings for dementia patients are:
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