Dementia Dimensions Blog

My wife takes a very long time to get dressed and sometimes she puts her clothes on wrong. Should I help? - Robert H. - Dementia Resource Center

Written by John Doe | Nov 16, 2020 10:34:37 PM

It’s hard to watch someone struggle to do something, knowing you can do it much faster! If it’s important to her to do it herself and the result is nothing but mismatched clothes, take a deep breath and let it go! Save your energy for something else. However if she is frustrated or you are in a time crunch to get to an appointment, look for ways to provide that support without taking over, like laying the clothes out for her in the order she should put them on. Make getting dressed an activity, rather than a chore; play some music, sing a song, engage in a silly conversation. Take the attention away from what she cannot do, and bring a moment of joy to your day.