Dressing during stroke recovery

Dressing with weakness on one side

• Let your “good arm” do the work.

• Use the arm that is still mobile to put on clothing, starting with the affected side first. To undress, start by taking off your clothes from the unaffected side.
• Choose roomy clothes and slippery or silky fabrics.
  • Make sure your clothes are loose enough so you have room to maneuver. Breathable fabrics that easily slide on your skin will make it a lot easier to dress.
• Prepare your outfit before dressing.
  • Always look to minimize stress wherever possible – preparing your outfit beforehand will allow you more time to dress.
• At the beginning of your recovery, dress while sitting.
  • Balance can be tricky at the beginning, so make sure you find a comfortable place to sit – chair, bed, sofa, or wherever you can have both feet on the floor (balance) and have enough room to move around while putting on clothes.

Below are also some quick tips with common challenges:

Shirts and jackets

• Choose slippery  or non-iron fabrics.
• Use downtime to practice buttoning and unbuttoning on a button up shirt.
• Put your affected arm in the sleeve first.
• Start buttoning from the bottom part and work your way up.

Socks and shoes

• Sit down. Put your foot on an elevated surface.
• At the beginning use slip-on shoes. Make sure these make you feel safe and balanced.
• Use Velcro closures in place of shoelaces to make it easier to dress.

Jewelry and accessories

• Wear bracelets that can be slipped onto your arm.
• Clip-on earrings are easier.
• Use gadgets or tricks to make it easier to put on clothes, like attaching a string to a zipper.
• If you can adapt your clothing, Velcro is a great alternative to buttons and shoelaces.
• Clip-on ties are easier to put on and take off.
• A front-closure bra will be easier to use than regular or pullover ones.

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