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How to Dress With a Cast From Wrist to Shoulder

When you break your arm, a doctor will fit you with a cast to support and protect the injury as your arm heals. If you've broken only your forearm bone, you'll be able to bend your elbow, which makes dressing yourself much easier. But if you've broken your forearm and/or humerus, you'll be fitted with a cast from your wrist to your shoulder, making dressing tricky. However, devices and tricks are available to help you dress yourself.

Things You'll Need

  • Sock aid
  • Dressing stick
  • Shoehorn
  • Elastic shoelaces
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Instructions

  1. Shirts

    • 1

      Select short-sleeved shirts that can be worn open, such as button-downs. If it's too cold, wear shirts made of spandex that can easily stretch around a cast.

    • 2

      Extend your broken arm to the side and pick up the shirt with a dressing stick. Hold onto the shirt sleeve that will go over the cast with the dressing stick.

    • 3

      Pull the shirt sleeve over the cast with the dressing stick and reach behind you to put your non-injured arm through the other sleeve.

    Pants

    • 4

      Select pants with elastic waistbands to avoid the difficulty of fastening buttons or pulling zippers.

    • 5

      Hold the waistband of the pants with a dressing stick just above the right leg.

    • 6

      Lift the waistband and place your right leg in the right pant leg.

    • 7

      Repeat Steps 2 and 3 for the left leg. Pull the pants up around your waist with the dressing stick or your non-injured arm.

    Socks

    • 8

      Lay the sock aid in your lap with the curved edge facing the floor.

    • 9

      Pull the sock over the sock aid, with the sock heel facing the floor.

    • 10

      Hold onto the sock aid rope with your non-injured hand and drop the aid.

    • 11

      Place your foot into the sock and pull the rope toward you to pull the sock up around your ankle. Repeat Steps 1 to 4 for the other foot.

    Shoes

    • 12

      Ask a family member or friend to lace your shoes with elastic shoelaces so you don't have to tie them.

    • 13

      Place your foot into the shoe, but don't put your heel in.

    • 14

      Insert a shoehorn into the back of the shoe and use it as leverage to slip your heel into the shoe. Repeat for the other foot.

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