ALS Therapy Development Institute

Dressing and ALS

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Assistive devices and clothing modifications recommended by your occupational therapist can make it easier to get dressed.

As your muscles weaken, getting dressed by yourself can become challenging and exhausting. There are a number of strategies and assistive devices that can help you continue to get dressed on your own. As different challenges arise, ask the occupational therapist at your ALS clinic, outpatient occupational therapy, or home health agency for suggestions.

ALS Home and Daily Living Guide

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Eating and ALS

Wearing Clothes that Work for You

If you find that it is taking longer than you would like to get dressed, you may need to make some modifications to your current wardrobe and/or find some new clothes that work better for you. Many people, for example, find that wearing pants or skirts with elastic waistbands are easier to pull up and down.

Ideally, you will find clothes that you feel are both functional and fashionable. Companies like Silverts and Tommy Hilfiger sell adaptive clothing that is easier to put on and take off.

If buttons or zippers are difficult, there are ways to modify your clothing, such as adding larger zipper tabs or key rings and replacing buttons and zippers with magnets or Velcro. Your local tailor should be able to make these and other modifications.

Finding Footwear that Works for You

Finding the best footwear for you will depend on your current needs and mobility. If you are walking with or without a walker and have foot drop, you’ll want to avoid footwear like flip flops that are going to increase your chances of tripping and falling. If you are walking with an ankle foot brace (AFO), your best option will probably be supportive athletic shoes with laces. When it comes to footwear, safety and stability must come before fashion.

If you are having trouble tying your shoes, you could replace your laces with elastic shoe laces, which will essentially convert your shoes into slip-ons because you’ll only need to tie them once. You may also want to try slip-on shoes or shoes that fasten with zippers or Velcro. There are also adaptive shoe brands such as Kizik, Friendly Shoes, and Zeba Shoes that make shoes that are easier to put on and take off.

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If your feet swell or if you wear AFOs, you may want to research shoe brands like Billy Shoes that offer extra-wide sizing. To decrease swelling, you can try wearing compression socks, but you will first want to talk with your physical therapist, occupational therapist, or neurologist about the amount of compression needed and which type of socks will be best for you. If you find regular compression socks hard to take on and off, you can try compression socks with zippers.

Dressing Tips and Devices

If you no longer feel safe bathing on your own with these devices, or if you find the process too exhausting, it is probably time to ask for assistance from a caregiver, whether a family member, friend, or professional.

If you need assistance getting over the tub and showering, your caregiver can either use a tub transfer bench or tub slider with a swivel seat to help bathe you safely. If you have solid sliding doors, you will need to replace them with a shower curtain in order to use these devices.

If your mobility has become more limited, you may need to be transferred to a rolling shower commode chair and then wheeled into a barrier-free shower. Because space in bathrooms is often tight, it may be easier to transfer into the chair before you enter the bathroom. You can also roll the same chair over the toilet to relieve yourself before or after your shower.

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If you are having a hard time putting on shirts, a dressing stick may help. If one arm is stronger than the other, put the weaker arm in first so your stronger arm can do most of the work. And if you are having trouble buttoning or zipping, a simple button hook / zipper pull may help you continue to get dressed independently.

Some other things that may help you get dressed independently include wearing bras that fasten in the front, using suspenders to help pull your pants up, and adding loops to the waistbands of pants.

If you are still struggling to get yourself dressed—or find that it is taking too long or using a lot of your energy—ask your caregiver to assist with some or all of these dressing activities.If you have a feeding tube, you can shower with it uncovered within one to two days after it is placed. Water and soap can gently run over the tube, but do not let the water stream spray directly onto the tube or tube site. When done, gently pat everything dry, especially under the bumper.

This content on Home and Daily Living with ALS is provided by our friends at YourALSGuide. Learn more at https://www.youralsguide.com/.