A dressing stick is a straightforward piece of adaptive equipment designed to help individuals maintain independence with personal care tasks. This low-technology tool effectively increases a user’s reach, compensating for physical limitations that make bending or stretching difficult. It simplifies the motions involved in putting on and taking off garments without requiring assistance.
Defining the Device and its Structure
The dressing stick typically consists of a long, rigid shaft made from durable materials like wood, plastic, or metal, often measuring between 27 and 30 inches in length. This length is engineered to bridge the distance between a user’s hands and their feet or lower torso, and the core function relies on specialized attachments at either end. One end features a large hook, frequently shaped like an ‘S’ or ‘C’, which is the primary mechanism for pushing and pulling clothes. This large hook is often coated with vinyl or a similar soft material to prevent snagging fabric or scratching the skin. The opposite end usually presents a smaller hook, sometimes a metal wire for fine-motor tasks, or is replaced with a rubber tip or a long-handled shoehorn.
Specific Tasks Assisted by the Dressing Stick
The stick’s hooks allow for manipulation of clothing that would otherwise require significant bending or reaching overhead.
Lower Body Dressing
For lower body dressing, the large hook catches the waistband of pants, skirts, or underwear, allowing the user to pull the garment up over their feet and legs. Once the clothing is at the knee or mid-thigh level, the user can often stand safely and pull the garment the rest of the way with their hands.
Upper Body Dressing
When dressing the upper body, the large hook guides a shirt or jacket over the shoulders and down the back. After placing one arm in a sleeve, the user can hook the opposite side of the neckline and swing the garment around to locate the second armhole. The stick can also be used to push clothing off the shoulders or down the legs when undressing.
Fine Motor Tasks
The smaller hook or wire tip is designed for manipulating small fasteners and loops. This includes hooking the small loop on a zipper tab to pull the zipper up or down. The small hook also proves useful for removing socks by catching the fabric at the ankle and pushing the material off the heel and foot. The dressing stick can also be used as a simple reaching tool to retrieve fallen items of clothing from the floor or to pull hangers from a closet rod.
Who Benefits from Using Assistive Dressing Tools
The dressing stick is recommended for any individual experiencing a temporary or permanent limitation in range of motion or flexibility. A primary group benefiting includes those recovering from orthopedic surgeries, such as total hip or knee replacements, who often have strict precautions against bending or twisting their body. Chronic conditions that affect mobility, like severe arthritis in the hands, back, or shoulders, also create a need for this tool, allowing users with chronic pain to dress without painful contortions. The elderly population, who often face a natural decrease in flexibility and balance, utilize the stick to safely perform dressing tasks while seated, minimizing the risk of a fall. The device also serves those with hemiplegia or limited hand function, as it requires a simple grasp rather than intricate fine motor control to operate.