How to Complete Lower Body Dressing Using Adaptive Equipment

Having difficulty putting on or taking off your pants, socks, and shoes? Perhaps you have back pain or recently had a surgery. Using long handled adaptive equipment can make your life easier. Adaptive equipment are devices that are used to assist with completing activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, and feeding.

Steps

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    Use the dressing stick to help push your shoes off of your feet. The dressing stick has two hooks on one end. Use the hook pointing down, slip it in the heel of your shoe, and push! Off goes your shoe!
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    Use the dressing stick to help push your socks off of your feet. In a similar manner used to take off your shoes, place the hook in the heel of your sock, and push! Voila!
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    Push your pants down your hips as far as you are able. Use the dressing stick to help push each pant leg off your legs.
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    To dress, pick up your sock using the reacher.
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    Place your sock on the sock aid. Pull the sock all the way up the sock aid, so the end of the sock is flush with the end of the sock aid. Be sure not to pull it any higher than the handles.
    • Toss the sock aid to the floor, holding onto the handles.
    • Slip your toes into the sock aid, point your toes, and pull up! On goes the sock! If the sock is not as high as you'd like, use the reacher to pull the sock higher.
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    Use the dressing stick to help thread each leg into your pants. Use the hooks to draw the pants up until you are able to reach with your own hands. Stand, and pull your pants up.
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    Use the long handled shoehorn to hold up the back of your shoe as you slip your foot in.
    • If the tongue of the shoe slid down, use the reacher to pull it up.
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    Now you're dressed and ready for the day
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Warnings

  • If you have had any surgery, including a hip, knee, or back surgery, please consult your physician before using adaptive equipment.
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Things You'll Need

  • Reacher
  • Dressing stick
  • Sock aid
  • Long-handled shoehorn
  • These items can be found at most medical supply companies and local pharmacies.

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References

  1. American Occupational Therapy Association. (2008). Occupational therapy practice framework: Domain and process (2nd ed.). American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 62, 625-683.
  2. Gardner, H. (2010). Biography of Howard Gardner. Retrieved April 14, 2014 from http://www.howardgardner.com/bio/bio.html
  3. Wielandt, T., & Strong, J. (2000). Compliance with prescribed adaptive equipment: A literature review. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 63, 65-75

About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 59,660 times.
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Co-authors: 7
Updated: January 17, 2023
Views: 59,660
Categories: Featured Articles | Medical Equipment
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