Top 6 Ways For Your Elder to Continue to Dress With Style
Posted on Fri, Feb 18, 2011 @ 10:13 AM
By Hal Robertson
Perhaps your mother or father were really snazzy dressers back in the day. While many elderly folks enjoy the dressing down approach, complete with a sweat suit and sneakers, this isn't always the case. There are still many elders out there that were brought up to always look sharp and to dress accordingly. Perhaps you know of an elder who won't leave the house unless they have a coat and tie on, or with a nice dress accompanied by nice jewelry. Just because a person becomes incapacitated in some way, this doesn't mean their days of dressing nicely are over.
Be sure you are aware of the type of dresser your elder has been in the past and do all you can to help them maintain their style as long as possible. The following 6 tips should help you in helping them to remain as stylish as they have been during other times in their life.
1. Encourage them to dress themselves if at all possible.
2. Lay out the clothes they have selected in the order they should be put on.
3. Buy multiple pieces of the exact same clothing should they insist on wearing the same thing every day.
4. Replace buttons and snaps with Velcro.
5. Maintain dignity by providing as many clothing choices as possible.
6. Compliment, compliment, compliment!
Be sure to compliment your elder on their appearance on a regular basis and be sure to mean it! Sarcasm can be detected a mile away!
For elders that are disabled, be sure to put the most painful arm or leg into clothing first so that stress is reduced in those limbs. When removing clothing, be sure to take the stronger arm or leg out first for the same reason.
Be sure to keep an eye out for tight clothing. As elders advance in age, they may not have the ability to detect discomfort associated with tight clothes. This could lead to belts that are too tight or binding sleeves that may interfere with circulation.