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What Is Adaptive Clothing?

Adaptive Clothing

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What is adaptive clothing? 
Open back garments for upper body disability  
Easy access garments for lower body disability
Benefits of Errine Adaptive Clothing
Who Benefits From Adaptive Clothing

 

What Is Adaptive Clothing?

Adaptive clothing is specialised clothing that is modified to enable easier dressing for people with a disability. The clothing is modified to help people with a high degree of disability and their carers, or to assist individuals with a lower degree of disability to dress independently.


Degrees of Loss of Mobility and Disability

Partial
Partial loss of mobility can be caused by an number of things such as following a hip replacement or heart surgery, early stage multiple sclerosis or neurological disorders, or post stroke. The disability can be short or long term and leave the person with loss of or limited use in an arm, leg, or multiple limbs
 
Full
Full loss of mobility can be as a result of major trauma such as spinal cord or brain injury resulting in quadriplegia, or Cerebral Palsy or a severe stroke that leaves the person will full paralysis
 
Loss of fine motor skills
This is the inability to do things that need small (fine) muscle movements such as using fingers or thumbs to do up buttons or zippers. You can see loss of fine motor skills in people with arthritis or Parkinson's Disease
 
Loss of gross motor skills
The inability to do things that require large muscle movements such as lifting arms or rotating shoulders to get a jacket on, or bending and lifting legs to get pants on.  Loss of gross motor skills can be seen in people with frozen shoulder, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, or following injury or illness such as dislocating a shoulder or painful hips.

Any degree of disability can make getting clothes on and off difficult and undignified.  At Errine Adaptive Clothing we believe every person has the right to wear clothes they feel comfortable and attractive in, and being able to dress without assistance whenever possible is crucial to restoring dignity.

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Types Of Adaptive Clothing

Open Back Adaptive Clothing - Upper Body Garments ladies-adaptive-blouse-open-back

Open back adaptive clothing is for people with an upper body disability and applies to e.g. shirts, tops, blouses and nightwear. The shirt or blouse easily slides on frontwards over the arms (like a hospital gown) and is secured at the top of the shoulders.
If someone has an upper body disability, the fully opening back means they don't have to bend arms or necks, lift or rotate shoulders or arms, or fight with small neck holes or sleeves.

The ease of dressing with less 'man-handling' also reduces the incidence of skin tears.

The wrap completely covers the back and attaches at the upper shoulders. The overlaps fall along the side seams so there is no gaping or seam / join through the middle of the shirt or blouse. Fasteners are positioned on the upper shoulders and are positioned to avoid pressure sores.

Blouse or shirts with button up fronts still have the buttons to maintain the look of a normal shirt or blouse, but are non functioning and are not used to get the garment on or off.

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Easy Access Side Closures - Lower Body Garments easy-access-sitting-pants-diagram

Errine adaptive pants are for people with a lower body disability and are designed to be comfortable when in the seated position for prolonged periods.

Adaptive pants close at the side along the seams which means the front of the pants can fold down from the seated position.  The generous opening provides ample room to get the pants on and off, and most toileting or hygiene needs can be attended to without having to completely remove the pants.

The back waist is higher to prevent riding down and exposure of the lower back when sitting (as is the case with off-the-rack pants) and are roomier in the groin and belly area for comfort.

Whilst the fittings are generous they do not look over sized and can accommodate hip protectors, catheter bags, colostomy bags etc. without the pants feeling tight or uncomfortable.

With adaptive trousers the zipper fly front are able to be used like any other zipper fly front but the hidden advantage is the easy access sides discreetly placed along the outer side seams.

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Benefits of Errine Adaptive Clothing

  • Errine Adaptive Clothing is designed for health or mobility related needs providing a practical solution for special needs
  • suitable for short or long term disability
  • Velcro® and snap closures are strategically placed to reduce the amount of movement needed for assisted dressing and positioned to avoid pressure points
  • ease of functionality provides easier quicker struggle free dressing
  • no need to lift or bend arms or rotate painful shoulders during dressing
  • faster more comfortable health care without compromising on style
  • reduces potential of injury with reduced manual handling effort for carers and reduced man handling of wearer
  • the clothing looks normal and feels comfortable for the wearer so increases quality of life
  • full coverage for wheelchair / chair transfers with no exposure of the back or bottom maintains the dignity of the wearer

Limited mobility should not limit clothing options - Errine Adaptive Clothing is functional, comfortable, affordable, and looks like normal clothing with unobtrusive modifications such as concealment of zippers or Velcro® closures

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Who Benefits from Errine Adaptive Clothing?

Anyone with a disorder, injury, disease, or illness that causes loss of mobility, loss of fine or gross motors skills, and their carers who help with assisted dressing!
 
Alzheimer's Dementia Incontinence Post Surgical
Arthritis Diabetes Multiple Sclerosis Quadraplegia
Brain Injury Frail Aged Muscular Dystrophy Spina Bifida
Cerebral Palsy Gout Paraplegia Spinal Cord Injury
Contracture's Huntingtons Parkinson's Stroke