Hi All,
My mom has moderate dementia in that she knows us and has long term memory but her short term memory is slipping. She is in a great assisted living facility which we are all grateful for.
I have recently bought her new clothes. We tried them on, they fit and she seemed to really like them. I put them front and center in her closet and also removed clothes that are too big or she no longer wears, (with her agreement). She isn’t wearing them and in fact, sometimes only puts on an undershirt with her favorite jacket over it. I’m wondering if this is related to her dementia. And while she certainly isn’t walking around naked, I’m wondering how to help get her into the new clothes in the morning. I can ask for a higher level of care, but she won’t like it. The clothes are all colors she likes and are easy to put on and remove, plus they all mix and match. She’s lost weight and her other clothes weren’t fittting. I know this is not a huge problem by any means but I know there is a lot of knowledge on this forum. Thank you in advance.
So maybe don't even put them in her closet, but right where she gets dressed in the morning and can see them?
Actually, it's really more about me, than her, since, my LO is happy as long as she is comfortable and I have made sure that all of her clothes are comfortable, good fabric, nothing too tight, etc. So, I have tried to move past worrying that she's in certain clothes.
Since going to AL and then to MC, my LO has always needed help picking out the clothes and getting dressed, so, even the staff aren't equipped with the best taste. lol They do hang pants and shirts together, so, they know which outfit goes together. Then, they add a light jacket or sweater if she is chilly.
Based on what I have seen, notes, reminders, hanging things in certain places, etc., doesn't really help, unless it's for the staff. The person with dementia may be able to read it, but, they often can't process what it means and they also won't have the initiative to read it.
The staff may honor the notes, if they have time. But, if just left to their own sense of taste........I wouldn't be too optimistic on what they would come up with it. That's based on my experience. I've gone in on Luau day, after setting aside her brightly colored, short sleeved, floral shirt with white capri pants, to see that they ignored that and put her in a long sleeved solid colored top and grey pants. I mean really? I've seen similar things for years. If I leave a note that directs STAFF to put a certain outfit on her for a doctor's appointment, they will comply, though.