Tips for Dressing.

Have you ever had problems getting dressed and started to put on a sock or your pants and lost your balance.  This has happened to me in the past. 
 I want to share with you some helpful ideas that have helped me.

Dressing

General tips for dressing:

• Allow plenty of time for dressing. Hurrying can lead to
stress and frustration, which can slow you down.

• Do a few stretching exercises before getting dressed to
“warm up” muscles.

• Sit down when dressing. Choose a chair with firm
support and arms. Don’t sit on the edge of the bed to
dress—this can lead to loss of balance and falling.

• Use a footstool to make it easier to put on shoes and
socks.

An occupational therapist can help assess your situation
and make recommendations especially suited to your needs.
Talk to your health care provider about getting a referral.

Clothing suggestions:

• Choose clothing with fewer buttons, zippers, and other
closures that might be difficult to use.

• Pants with elastic waistbands are easier put on than
zipper or button pants. Avoid pants with elastic ankle
bands, such as sweatsuits.

• You can replace buttons by sewing on touch fasteners
such as Velcro®. You can also find clothing with
Velcro® closures in specialty stores and catalogues. 

• Loose fitting clothing made of stretchy fabric is easy to
put on and wear.

• Avoid clothing items made from velour, flannel or
other materials that increase friction during transfers/
repositioning.

• If you sweat heavily, choose cotton or other natural fibers

that ““breathe.”

Shoes and socks:
• Avoid socks with tight elastic bands. Socks without
elastic can be ordered from catalogues listed at the end of
this booklet.

• Non-skid socks should replace bedroom slippers, which
can slide off your feet.

• Lightweight, supportive shoes with Velcro® closures
or elastic shoelaces make it easy to put on and take off
shoes.

• Elastic or “curly fries” shoelaces are can be purchased at
discount stores and eliminate the need to tie shoes.

Women:

• Don’t wear hosiery that is tight. Thigh-high, knee-high
or ankle-high hose with wide woven bands at the top are
a good choice.

• Wear low-or-flat-heeled shoes instead of high-heeled
shoes. This helps improve stability and balance.

✦ Especially for care partners:

• Although it might seem easier to “do it yourself,”
encourage the person you are helping to do as much of
the dressing as possible. If appropriate, leave them alone
to dress and assist them as needed.

• It may be easier to put on pants, socks and shoes when

the person is lying down.

Helpful dressing aides:

Elastic shoelaces or shoes with Velcro® straps replace the
need to tie and re-tie shoes.

Extra-long shoehorn helps shoes slide on without having to
bend over.

Button aid/zipper pull allows you to button or unzip
with one hand. This is also useful when fine motor skills are
impaired.


Zipper loops allows better grasp of zippers.

Contributors:
National Parkinson Foundation
Heather Cianci, PT, MS, GCS
The Dan Aaron Parkinson’s Rehab Center
Parkinson’s Disease & Movement Disorders Center at Pennsylvania Hospital
Philadelphia, PA
Lizette Cloete, OTR/L
Skaggs Community Health Center, Branson, MO
Joan Gardner, RN, BSN
Struthers Parkinson’s Center
Minneapolis, MN
Marilyn Trail, MOT, OTR, BCN
Parkinson’s Disease Research, Education and Clinical Center
Michael E. DeBakey VAMC and Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, TX
Rose Wichmann, PT
Struthers Parkinson’s Center
Minneapolis, MN