Dressing a Stroke Patient

Getting up and getting dressed is important. It affects both mood and self-esteem. Insist that your survivor get out of his or her pajamas every day. Only sick people stay in their pajamas all day!

General Tips

• When dressing, always put clothing on the affected side first. When undressing, always take clothes off the affected side last.
• Clothing that must be pulled over the head (undershirts, nightgowns, sweaters) may be difficult to manage.
• When getting dressed, lay out clothes in the order they will be put on. Those to be put on first go on top of the pile.
• Putting on clothes is easier when sitting than when lying down.

Shoes

• There are several products available for tying shoes. Investigate assistive-device catalogs.
• Have a shoe repair shop alter the shoes by installing Velcro closures.
• For help putting on socks, buy a sock stretcher through one of the assistive-device catalogs. Using a larger-size sock also helps.
• If using a brace, put the brace in the shoe first. Pick up the shoe by the toe and lay it down on the back of the brace. Step into the trough (long, narrow opening) of the brace and slide the foot forward into the shoe. Hold the tongue out of the way.

Belts

• Put the belt on the skirt, slacks, or dress before putting it on.

Putting on Pants

• Rather than trying to pull pants on holding the waist in weak fingers, thrust the affected hand deep into the side pocket and pull up the pants. This allows the arm to hold the weight of the pants rather than the fingers.
• Use the unaffected hand to put in the shirttails.
• To close the waist, put the affected thumb through the last belt loop then push against that to draw the waist closer together.