Dressing aids for the elderly and disabled in Ireland: sock and stocking aids, long shoe horns, dressing sticks and button hooks compared, with hip kit tips.
Dressing Aids to Compare
Getting dressed is one of the first everyday jobs to become hard when bending, reaching or gripping is difficult. A few simple dressing aids, most costing under €20, can make the difference between needing help every morning and managing on your own.
This guide covers the main dressing aids for the elderly and disabled, who each one helps, and which ones make up a hip kit for after a hip replacement. For picking things up off the floor, see our guide to reaching aids.
Dressing aids compared
| Type | Key detail | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
OrtoPrime sock aid Socks | Sock aid | Gutter with handles | €8.90 | View on Amazon |
|
Helping Hand Ezy-On Compression | Stocking frame | Class 1 and 2 stockings | €39.50 | View on Amazon |
NRS gutter stocking aid Stockings | Stocking aid | Moulded, cotton tapes | €14.78 | View on Amazon |
Long shoe horn Shoes | Shoe horn | 42.5 cm, flexible | €16.09 | View on Amazon |
|
Aidapt dressing stick Coats, trousers | Dressing stick | 69 cm, zip hook | €18.50 | View on Amazon |
NRS dressing stick deluxe Coats, trousers | Dressing stick | 69 cm, three hooks | €23.46 | View on Amazon |
|
Homecraft button hook Buttons, zips | Button hook | 23.5 cm, 2 in 1 | €7.99 | View on Amazon |
LaceHype no-tie laces Shoes | Elastic laces | Quick lacing | €7.68 | View on Amazon |
Hip kit After hip surgery | Kit | Reacher, sock aid, leg lifter and more | €64.51 | View on Amazon |
Today’s prices on sock aids, stocking aids, shoe horns and dressing sticks.
Table of Contents
Types of Dressing Aid
Sock aids
A sock aid is a flexible gutter with two long handles or cords. You slide the sock over the gutter, drop it to the floor, put your foot in and pull the handles until the sock is on. It is the single most useful dressing aid for anyone who cannot bend to their feet, after a hip or knee replacement, with a bad back or with arthritis in the hips.
Stocking aids for compression stockings
Compression stockings are tight by design and very hard to pull on with weak hands. A stocking aid holds the stocking open on a frame or a firm gutter so you can step into it. Frame-style aids such as the Ezy-On suit firmer class 1 and 2 stockings and open-toe TED stockings. Softer gutter aids suit ordinary stockings and tights.
Long-handled shoe horns
A long shoe horn lets you slip your heel into a shoe without bending down. Lengths of about 40 to 80 cm cover most needs. A flexible shoe horn bends with the foot; a rigid one is better for pushing.
Dressing sticks
A dressing stick is a long stick with a hook at each end. It helps pull trousers up over the feet, push a sleeve onto the far arm, hook a coat off the back of a chair and push socks off. Some have a small hook for pulling up zips.
Button hooks and zip pullers
A button hook is a wire loop on a chunky handle. You push the loop through the buttonhole, catch the button and pull it back through. It helps people with arthritis, Parkinson's, a weak grip or the use of only one hand. A zip puller gives you something to hold when the zip tab is too small.
Elastic and no-tie laces
Elastic laces turn lace-up shoes into slip-ons, so laces never need tying again. They pair well with a long shoe horn.
Dressing After a Hip Replacement
After a hip replacement, your surgical team may advise you not to bend past a right angle at the hip, or to cross your legs, for several weeks. That makes socks, shoes and trousers difficult. A hip kit usually includes:
- a reacher for picking up clothes and items off the floor;
- a sock aid;
- a long-handled shoe horn;
- a dressing stick, and often a leg lifter and a long-handled sponge.
The hospital occupational therapist will usually go through the kit with you before you go home. Buying it before your operation lets you practise. A raised toilet seat and a shower seat are usually needed at the same time.
Tips for Dressing More Easily
- Sit down to dress, on a firm chair or the edge of the bed, with your feet flat on the floor.
- Dress the weaker or more painful side first, and undress it last.
- Choose easier clothes: elasticated waists, front-opening tops, larger buttons, Velcro fastenings and slip-on shoes.
- Lay clothes out in order the night before, within easy reach.
If dressing is getting harder, an occupational therapist can assess you at home and suggest aids and techniques. If you have a medical card, the HSE may supply small aids after an assessment. Our guide to mobility aids grants in Ireland explains how the HSE aids and appliances scheme works.
Every dressing aid we list, with today’s prices.
Dressing Aid Questions
How does a sock aid work?
You slide the sock over the flexible gutter so the toe is at the end, drop the sock aid to the floor by its handles, put your foot in, and pull the handles up. The gutter slides out and leaves the sock on your foot.
Can a sock aid be used with compression stockings?
A basic sock aid struggles with firm compression stockings. Use a frame-style stocking aid made for compression stockings, such as the Ezy-On, which holds the stocking open while you step in.
What is in a hip kit?
A hip kit usually includes a reacher, a sock aid, a long-handled shoe horn and a dressing stick, and often a leg lifter and a long-handled sponge. Together they let you dress and wash without bending past a right angle at the hip.
Can I get dressing aids from the HSE?
If you have a medical card, an occupational therapist may supply small dressing aids after an assessment, especially before or after hip surgery. Ask your GP, public health nurse or the hospital OT.