Trouble getting clothes on

Joydean

My husband can get his jeans on with no problems, but he can not get his tee shirts on or his socks! He try’s and try’s but just can’t get his shirt on. I really can’t understand why he can get part of his clothes on and not the shirt. He can’t get his sweatshirt on. Does anyone else have a love one that can get part of their clothes on and not the rest of the clothes? There’s no buttons or anything to make it hard, he just can’t remember how to get his arms in the arm hole. I just feel so bad for him, so I just help him! Sometimes he gets frustrated and throws his tee shirt on the floor.

Gig Harbor

My husband can still put clothes on but adds multiple layers. He also sees no reason to,change clothes so I have to sneak out the dirty ones when he gets into bed. Right now we are fighting about his need for a shower. I gave in the last three nights but I can’t tonight.

Beachfan

My DH is in a MCF since Nov. 12.  Prior to placement, he struggled with every aspect of dressing/undressing.  Once I figured out how to “hold” his clothing and what cues to give when,  it was somewhat easier.  I found it easier to physically help him 100% rather than watching him struggle and become frustrated.  Sometimes, he would lose his place midway into donning some article of clothing and I would have to start over, sort of like pressing a reset button.  If he had a tee shirt under a sweatshirt, he would remove the sweatshirt upon request, then getting the tee shirt off was a puzzle; almost as if he was thinking, “I already took off my shirt, what does she want from me?”  I don’t know how they manage in the MCF; he is clean and appropriately dressed- - I don’t ask.

June45

JoyDean,

According to the FAST scale, this sounds like the beginning of stage 6 (6a) where the PWD needs help getting dressed.  I guess you can say what you are experiencing is normal and inevitable with progression.  Sad to say.  My experience with dressing my husband is similar to Beachfan.

tcrosse

For what it's worth, I put DW's pants on by putting my arm all the way up the leg, getting hold of her foot, and pulling it through. This keeps her from getting tangled up, or stepping on the cuffs. I do something similar with her hands when putting on tops. Luckily, she has gotten over fighting the process. 

Having found some incontinence undergarments that fit correctly has made life a lot easier. There are many fewer surprises because the urine and feces end up in only one place (more or less) rather than all over the house. 

Marie58

My experience was similar to Beachfan and tcrosse. There was also a short while that DH could put on a button down shirt but not a tshirt or sweatshirt, so we did that for a while. I would do one button to line them up correctly, then he would do the rest, until he couldn't do any.

billS

My wife also has trouble dressing and undressing. She will put on her shoes before putting on pants, put on different shoes on each foot, put on multiple layers ("these shoes don't fit," well, that's because you have four pairs of socks on!). I now have to stand by and help through the whole process, if I just tell her "no, you do not need to put on a second pair of pants" and leave the room she will go right back to trying to squeeze into a second pair. It makes no sense, but that's just how the damaged brain works.

French

It began with the belt at the beginning of 2020.

Beginning of 2021, He put his t-shirt or sweater on in front of his back. He struggled putting them on several times till having them in the right way.

The underwear were almost  always in front of his back but I let it go.

In March 2021 I had to help with the order of layers because I found him frequently with underwear over trousers or without underwear.

In October, I have to hand him all his clothes so that he puts them on properly. If not, he can try to put on his shirt by his legs or his pajama pants by his head.

I estimate that My partner is now end stage 6c. His MMSE was 6 in October. He is also unable to take his shower alone, for one year.

Sligo177

Joydean,

My DH is having the exact same problem.  I feel so bad for him.  He can't figure out how to get his arms in the sleeves, and cannot figure out if it's backwards or forwards.  I coach him on it every day - some times are better than others.  I know it's part of the disease.  He is having trouble with zippers on coats and sweaters.  Takes a long time to get dressed.  Pants, yeay, he can still do those.  God bless you.  You are definitely not alone.  Have a good day, and thank you for sharing this. 

French

About pants, it is also the piece of clothes he better put on. But sometimes he can be on in front of his back. Lately, pants with buttons instead of a zippers have become complicated. So, as I buy new ones, I take pants with elastic waist , it solves the belt and the buttons issues. And luckily it seems to be  fashionable so that I find casual ones, not sport pants.

Rescue mom

This is my problem with the scales for measuring what stage (although I get the numbers are very flexible). The scales talk about having trouble dressing. But do they mean physically, or mentally? 

My DH, for example, can put on a shirt if I hand it to him ready to put on. But he won’t change clothes, cannot get a shirt for himself (there’s only about 3-4), and has no concept of temperature-appropriate clothes.

Same with bathing. He can wash himself—if I can get him into the shower, which is getting harder and harder.

So, physically he can do these things. But he can’t if left to his own devices. Maybe that’s the answer to the question?.

French

@Rescue mom, the scales are about dementia. so for me, they measure how dementia decreases autonomy. If your husband is not able to choose his clothes, to put them correctly on… he is no more autonomous. 

I have to prepare and now to hand him all his clothes so that he just has to put his legs, head or arms in them. He is still able to understand that he has to do it and to do it.

I consider that he is in stage 6a as described here https://www.alzinfo.org/understand-alzheimers/clinical-stages-of-alzheimers/

He is unable to shower (will just wash his hands, or the right leg). I need to assist him and ask him to wash he body part after part, and for some parts it is very difficult to be understood. He doesn’t know where is is neck and just wash one leg. The only way I found to have the 2 legs washed is to mimic and wash the 2 at the same time with my 2 hands.

I consider that he is in stage 6b as described here https://www.alzinfo.org/understand-alzheimers/clinical-stages-of-alzheimers/

In March 2021, 6c began also. He stopped flushing the toilets, put the soiled  toilet paper everywhere but in the toilets. In the summer bowel incontinence began till i decided to accompany him in the toilets. I discovered he had no more the idea that to poop, he had to push. End of 2021, I had to decode when he needs and I always accompanied him to the toilets. It is 6c.

So, for us, 6a, b and c, began at the beginning of 2021 in parallel, with first just reminding and checking to a complete assistance at the end of the year.

As my partner is very young and in a MCF with a caregiver just for him the whole day, I hope they will be able to delay 6d as long as possible as beachfan did.