How to Put on Socks If Handicapped

While limitations differ, usually limitations mean stiffness. Limitations mean bending or twisting can be a problem. Feet can look very far away when a person isn't very flexible. Pulling on socks can seem like an exhausting impossibility. However, there are ways for handicapped individuals to put on socks by themselves.

Instructions

• 1

  Buy the right socks. Stiff, bulky socks are difficult for anyone to put on. For those with handicaps and limitations, the choice of socks can mean the difference between dependence and independence. Choose socks with some, but not too much, stretch to them. These will last longer when pulled on with the use of implements and make the process easier.

• 2

  Use a rubber mat. Socks like to slip away, especially if you can't reach them or get a solid grip on them. By buying a thin rubber mat and starting with the sock on the mat, the consistency of the mat keeps the sock from slipping and sliding as you pull it on. For a mat that is thin, easy to unroll and easy to carry along while traveling, go to the shelf paper section of a department or hardware store. There you'll find shelf covering with the rubber-like surface. This is cheap, easily cut to size, easy to handle and easy to stick in a purse. (Adding a loop to a mat makes it easier to pick up.)

• 3

  Create your own dressing stick. For those with flexibility problems, a dressing stick 2 to 3 feet long can be a real help in dressing as well as in putting on socks. A dowel rod is about the perfect size, though you can have someone cut the rod to the length most comfortable for your situation. Buy a hook. These come in different sizes; often several come packaged together. A hook with a three-inch stem is about the right size to fit into the hole drilled into the dowel rod. You may wish to choose a hook with a protective coating. Using this dressing stick, you can work your toes into the edge of the sock and maneuver it up onto your feet with the hook.

• 4

  Sew loops onto your socks. Sewing loops on either side of your socks provides a place you can grip to pull up the sock. Loops also make it easier to use dressing sticks. The combination of mat, dressing stick and loops offers independence for those with handicaps who are unable to reach down to put on socks or without the strength to do so with hands alone.

• 5

  Buy tools specially created for putting on socks. While you can create your own dressing sticks, there are a variety of sock aids you can purchase as well. These can cost anywhere from $6 (or more) for a dressing stick to $30 or more for sock helpers such as the Ezy Sock Helper. A variety of sock helpers and dressings sticks can be purchased at your local medical supply store or online at AllegroMedical.com. Places such as Amazon and bizrate.com also carry dressing sticks to help you gain independence by assisting you in putting on your own socks.