Electric dressing aid

The client, a clergyman, has restricted upper body movement, and had difficulty putting on jackets and his vestments. He required a device which would hold the garment in the correct position for him to insert his arms and ‘shrug’ himself into the garment.

Two uprights were attached to a base and aluminum tubing fitted to the uprights to guide a crossbar with spring loaded clips. A bath lift motor was fitted between the uprights, powered by a 12V battery in a box also housing reversing switches and charging point. Limiting micro switches were mounted for maximum and minimum height. Foot pedals on the base operated the spring clips, via ‘Bowden’ cables. The client is able to ‘load’ the garment onto the crossbar and raise it to a suitable height for him to insert his arms into the sleeves, then release the clips using foot pedals.

The client can now manage most garments, where previously he was dependent on his wife.

(Lincoln & District)