Dressing Aids and Easier Ways to Get Dressed

Getting dressed becomes easier through a combination of two things: simple aids for dressing, and better technique. The aids - a sock aid, a button hook, a long-handled shoehorn, elastic shoelaces - are inexpensive and replace the specific movements that have become difficult, such as bending to the feet or gripping small fastenings. The techniques cost nothing: sit down to dress rather than standing, dress the weaker or more painful side first, and lay clothes out in the order you will put them on. Most people who struggle with dressing need a mix of both, matched to the exact part of the task they find hardest.

Why dressing gets harder

Dressing asks a lot of the body in a short space of time: balancing on one leg, bending to the feet, reaching behind the back, and managing buttons, zips and laces with both hands. If any one of those becomes difficult - because of stiff or painful joints, reduced grip, weakness on one side, breathlessness or poor balance - the whole routine can start to take an exhausting amount of time, or start to feel unsafe.

The useful first step is to notice precisely which movement is the problem. Someone who cannot reach their feet needs a completely different solution from someone who cannot manage buttons. That is why generic lists of dressing aids for elderly people are only a starting point - the right aid is the one that replaces the movement you have actually lost, which is exactly the judgement an equipment assessment is for.

Simple dressing aids worth knowing

• Sock aid. A flexible gutter or frame that holds a sock open while you slide your foot in, pulling it up by two long tapes - so socks go on without bending to the floor. There are versions for compression stockings too, which are much tighter and genuinely hard work without one.
• Button hook. A wire loop on a chunky handle that pulls buttons through their holes. It turns a fiddly two-handed pinch into a single simple pull, which helps with stiff or painful fingers - common with arthritis - and makes buttons possible with one hand.
• Long-handled shoehorn. Lets you ease shoes on from a seated position without bending. Simple, cheap, and one of the most used aids in any home it enters.
• Elastic shoelaces. Fitted once, they turn lace-up shoes into slip-ons that still hold the foot properly - a better answer than backless slippers, which are a falls risk.
• Dressing stick. A rod with a hook at each end, used to push clothing off the shoulders, pull it up over the feet, or retrieve a sleeve you cannot reach behind you.
• Zip pullers and rings. A loop or ring through the zip tab gives fingers something bigger to hold, so jackets and trousers stop being a pinch-grip test.

None of these is expensive, and most are widely available. The skill is in choosing the right one and learning the knack of using it - a sock aid, in particular, takes a little practice before it feels natural. Our plain-English guide to daily living equipment covers where aids like these fit into the bigger picture.

Technique matters as much as equipment

• Sit down to dress. Standing on one leg to put trousers on is one of the most common moments for a fall at home. Sitting on the edge of the bed or a sturdy chair removes the balance demand entirely, and lets you rest between steps.
• Dress the weaker side first. If one arm or leg is weaker, stiffer or more painful, put it into the garment first, while the fabric is loose and easy to manoeuvre. Undress in the reverse order - stronger side out first.
• Lay clothes out in order. Set everything out the night before, in the sequence you will put it on, with each garment the right way round. It saves energy and removes decisions from the most tiring part of the morning.
• Pace it. If breathlessness or fatigue is the limit, dressing in stages - lower half, rest, upper half - is a legitimate technique, not a defeat.

Clothing choices that quietly help

Sometimes the best dressing aid is a different garment. Trousers with an elasticated waist remove buttons and zips altogether. Front-fastening bras, or a size up in a pull-over style, avoid reaching behind the back. Loose armholes and stretchy fabrics make sleeves manageable with limited shoulder movement. Slip-on shoes with a firm heel, or shoes converted with elastic laces, remove the hardest part of footwear. None of this needs to look clinical - ordinary high-street clothing chosen with a practical eye does most of the job, and keeping your own style is part of the point.

One-handed dressing after a stroke

Dressing one handed after a stroke is a skill with real technique behind it, and it is one of the things occupational therapists teach most often. The core rule is the one above, applied strictly: the affected arm or leg goes into the garment first, every time, and comes out last. For a shirt or cardigan, that means threading the affected arm in fully, working the garment up over that shoulder, then reaching round with the stronger arm. Clothing is easier to manage laid flat on your lap or the bed than fought with in mid-air.

A button hook, elastic laces and a one-handed technique for tucking and fastening can between them make an independent morning routine realistic again. Balance is often affected too, so sitting to dress is not optional here - it is the foundation the rest is built on. This is exactly the kind of practical, repeatable routine an OT works out with you at home, in your own bedroom with your own clothes; see our page on occupational therapy after stroke for how that support works more broadly.

Who benefits from dressing aids and techniques

• Anyone who finds bending to their feet difficult or unsafe - socks, shoes and trousers are the usual sticking points
• People with stiff, weak or painful hands who struggle with buttons, zips and laces
• Anyone dressing with one hand, after a stroke or a hand or arm injury
• People whose balance makes standing to dress risky, including anyone who has had falls
• Older adults who want mornings to take less time and energy - see our older people and independence service

Frequently asked questions

What is a sock aid and how does it work?

A sock aid is a flexible gutter-shaped former that holds a sock open. You load the sock onto it, drop it to the floor holding two long tapes, slide your foot in and pull the tapes so the sock unrolls onto your foot - no bending required. Versions exist for ordinary socks, tights and compression stockings, and it takes a few practice runs before the knack clicks.

Which dressing aids help elderly people most?

The honest answer is that it depends on which movement has become hard. For bending, a sock aid and long-handled shoehorn; for grip and fingers, a button hook and zip pullers; for laces, elastic shoelaces. Most useful of all is often a change of technique - sitting to dress and laying clothes out in order - which costs nothing and reduces both effort and falls risk.

How do you get dressed one handed after a stroke?

Sit down, and put the affected arm or leg into the garment first while the fabric is loose, working it right up over the shoulder or hip before the stronger side goes in. Undress in reverse, stronger side first. A button hook and elastic laces handle the fastenings. An occupational therapist can teach and refine the technique with your own clothes at home, which is far more effective than following a written description alone.

Next steps

If getting dressed has become slow, painful or precarious, a home assessment can pin down which aids and which techniques will actually help - usually a short list, not a catalogue. Find your local occupational therapist through our areas we cover page, or see our prices page for current guide pricing.