Dressing

Dressing involves choosing what is right for the weather, following personal preferences and doing steps in a particular order. These decision-making and planning tasks can be difficult or frustrating for a person with dementia. Tips to help with dressing include the following:

• Provide direction. Lay out pieces of clothing in the order they should be put on — or hand out clothing one piece at a time as you provide simple dressing instructions.
• Limit choices. Too many choices can complicate decision-making and lead to agitation. Put away some clothes in another room.
• Consider personal tastes and dislikes. Let the person in your care make choices. If he or she always wants to wear the same thing, buy more than one of the outfits if possible.
• Make it easy and comfortable. Select clothes that fit comfortably and are easy to put on and remove. You might replace shoelaces, buttons and buckles with fabric fastening tape or large zipper pulls.