Getting dressed with Hemiplegia

Getting dressed when you have hemiplegia is hard. But with a bit of practice and thanks to adaptive fashion brands, it can definitely be made a lot easier.

Remember to start dressing from your paralysed side and undress the other way, This stops you twisting or damaging your shoulder. 

The very first thing I found hard was putting on a bra. My occupation therapist suggested just using sports bras but I actually found it more painful on my subluxed shoulder getting a sports bra on. The front magnetic fastening bras 100% helped me and can be perfect but actually I learnt how to put on a traditional bra from a fellow stroke survivor using this method.

Anyone who tries dressing one handed will tell you that buttons can make things really hard. Many shirts, blouses and jeans now offer magnetic buttons which can be a real time (and sanity) saver.

Do you wear an orthotic? I tend to opt to wear this over jeggings or leggings but they can be worn under a wide leg too. To avoid skin reactions, I’d recommend wearing knee length socks or stockings under the orthotic. 

I love hoodies, always have and if you struggle with zips, opt for one with a longer cord on the zip but even with this, it can be hard to do up, especially when standing. One solution is to purchase a hoodie with a magnetic zip. 

For footwear, although you can indeed learn to tie laces with one hand, as I do on some shoes, you can buy self tying laces or just opt for zipped or Velcro shoes, which are even easier.

Although there are certain items that I will take the time and patience to put on, but what I have learnt is doing it every day is exhausting. Sometimes you just don’t have the time, so convenience really matters when choosing outfits with hemiplegia. 

Getting dressed with hemiplegia isn’t exactly a walk in the park, but it doesn’t have to feel like a full-contact sport either. With the right tools, tricks, and maybe a magnetic button or two, you can get out the door without needing a nap first (well… maybe just a small one). Adaptive fashion is here to stay and thank blinking goodness!