Adaptive Clothing: It’s All About Independence

By Dottie Evans

Even the smallest decisions made every single day of our lives can become burning issues when age or disability come into play.

The perennial question, “What should I wear?” may suddenly have morphed into the much more complicated question: “What clothes do I have that can I possibly manage to put on by myself?”

The ability to dress oneself is at the core of a person’s sense of independence, and nurses and caregivers alike are well aware that the more patients can do for themselves, the better it is for everyone concerned.

Registered Nurse Karen Banks, a Newtown resident with 34 years’ experience working in acute-care hospitals, has spent nearly her entire career helping patients with varying degrees of disabilities. In the fall of 2000, Ms Banks retired from nursing and became a full-time consultant in adaptive clothing for the elderly or disabled. Now she finds herself very busy getting the word out about all the clothing choices that are available to anyone having mobility and flexibility issues.

“If you are taking care of someone or if a patient at home is not mobile, it is still so important to preserve independence and dignity,” Ms Banks said during a recent interview at her West Street home.

During her long career as a registered nurse, her goal has always been assessing what is best for the patient and how to prepare a patient or client to cope independently. Finally, she is in a position to educate patients and caregivers about the various clothing options available that can help facilitate this goal.

Specifically, there is a company located in Seattle, Wash., called Buck & Buck Designs that specializes in adaptive clothes for men and women that may be ordered through a catalog. Ms Banks has been working for more than three years as a consultant for this company.

 The clothing options offered by a company such as Buck & Buck are many and varied, each one geared to a specific set of medical problems or issues. Being very particular about the kind and quality of clothing her clients are looking for, Ms Banks continually asks herself the following questions when considering each item.

“Is the material comfortable and attractive? Will it stand up to repeated, even daily, washing? And most important, is it something I would want my own mother or father to wear?”

Assessing Mobility Restrictions

When looking for a company that sells adaptive clothing, customers should find one, such as Buck & Buck, that allows them to spend as long as needed speaking with a company sales rep about what clothing option would best solve their specific need, Ms Banks said.

The company’s attention to a customer’s problems should mirror the level of care Ms Banks has always shown in assessing her patients’ abilities to dress themselves. When she was educating her fellow nurses about assessment procedures, these are the issues she would ask them to consider.

*What are this patient’s mobility restrictions?

*Is there any paralysis or specific weakness?

*Is there a problem with instability or imbalance?

*Is the patient able to raise the arms above the head?

*Is the patient able to reach his or her feet?

*Are there restrictions in movement/flexibility in the hands?

*Is the patient’s vision impaired?

Beyond these questions, there are sometimes larger and more serious issues, such as whether the patient is even mentally capable of deciding what to wear. Is he or she oriented to the seasons, the weather, or the occasion? The caregiver may need to intervene and help guide the patient in such a case.

Another issue would be whether the clothing is available, within reach, easily obtained by the patient. Is the physical layout conducive to self-dressing? Could a set of low shelves be installed to allow for easier access? Is there a chair or bench nearby to use for support while dressing?

Great Ideas For Easier Self-Dressing

The following is a list of some clothing options designed to preserve independence on the part of the user or to facilitate the caregiver in assisting the patient.

Side-zip pants or sweats: Long zippers may be installed in the sides of trousers or sweat pants to enable self-dressing when there is limited flexibility. These might be especially useful after joint replacement surgery or for patients who cannot stand on their own.

Grab loops attached to zippers: These are helpful for patients with arthritis, Parkinson’s disease, or Multiple Sclerosis.

Footwear with Velcro closures: If the patient has trouble bending down or experiences difficulties with manual dexterity, Velcro can be invaluable in place of shoelaces or buckles.

There are booties, comfortable slippers, tennis shoes, and dress shoes with Velcro closures that allow for expansion. These are excellent for people with swollen feet, bunions, edema, or swelling.

Rear closure garments: Patients who have a limited ability to assist their caregivers will find it easier to dress if a garment does not require front buttoning or front zippers.

One-piece jumpsuits and sweatsuits: These are excellent for patients who are inclined to undress themselves inappropriately, as in the case of Alzheimer’s patients.

Padded arm or leg protectors: These may provide real relief and additional comfort for patients who have difficulty regulating their body temperature, or who have fragile skin that tears easily when bumped or scraped.

Elasticized pants with Velcro front fly opening: Called “putter pants,” these casual, front-opening trousers are particularly useful to men who are mobile, but will appreciate the ease of pulling on or off the elasticized pants. An extra-wide elastic band at the waist prevents the fabric from rolling or becoming twisted.

Back flap pants: For wheelchair bound patients and to insure privacy while using the bathroom, these pants are useful with or without a caregiver to assist in toilet transfers.

Karen Banks, RN, MS, is the owner of Professional Opinion, a consulting and public relations company located at 43 West Street, Newtown, CT 06470. Phone: 426-9957. Buck & Buck, Inc, may be reached by phone at 800-458-0600, or on the internet at www.buckandbuck.com.