Your senior may start to find it physically difficult to get dressed. That could cause her to stop changing clothes altogether, and that’s not a great solution overall.
Simplify Her Wardrobe
There might be some clothes in your senior’s wardrobe that really don’t need to be there any longer. They might be worn out or they might not fit any longer. There might also be clothes that just aren’t great choices for your senior any longer. The material or the fit might not be as comfortable, or the clothing might be difficult for your senior to put on or take off. Simplifying your senior’s wardrobe can help a lot with getting dressed.
Keep Getting Dressed in Her Daily Schedule
It’s really easy to get out of the routine of getting dressed in “real” clothes, especially if that task is difficult for your senior and you don’t want to battle with her. Your senior’s daily outfits don’t have to be complicated or fancy, but getting dressed should be something that she still does. The trick is stacking the habit of getting dressed with other habits she does every day, like brushing her hair and eating breakfast.
Use Choices Wisely
Choice is a lot more important in something as simple as getting dressed than most people realize. If your elderly family member has lost choice in a lot of areas of her life, you can still make sure that she’s able to make some choices. Choosing between one pair of pants and another can be huge. And if that’s the only decision your elderly family member is able to make on her own that day, don’t take that away.
Lay Clothes Out in the Right Order
Some older adults find that being able to do activities in the right order becomes a lot more difficult. This is a lot of what can be complicating her ability to get dressed, in fact. Once your elderly family member has made her choices for the day, make sure that you lay her clothing out in the order she’ll be putting it on. That can help to reduce the number of complicated decisions she has to make.
Get Some Extra Help if You Need It
Something to consider is that you and your senior might need some help from someone who has more experience with these situations than you do. Elder care providers can make getting dressed a lot easier for your senior and a lot less frustrating for you. Knowing that your elderly family member has that help can make you feel much more secure.
Getting dressed shouldn’t be a source of stress for you or for your senior. Any way that you can reduce that stress for her is important.
If you or an aging loved one is considering elder care in Big Timber, MT, please contact the caring staff at SYNERGY HomeCare Billings today at 406-839-2390.
