How to Help Someone With Alzheimer's Get Dressed: 10 Caregiver Tips

Updated October 2026

Getting dressed can become surprisingly difficult for someone living with Alzheimer's disease or another form of dementia.

A routine that once happened automatically can begin to require dozens of decisions:

What should I wear?

Which item goes on first?

Which way does this shirt face?

How do these buttons work?

Why is someone trying to take my clothes off?

For caregivers, those moments can turn an ordinary morning into confusion, frustration or resistance.

But the person usually isn't being difficult on purpose.

Dementia can affect memory, sequencing, decision-making, communication and the ability to complete familiar tasks. Physical challenges such as arthritis, weakness or limited mobility can make dressing even harder.

The good news is that you can often simplify the process.

This guide draws on a Joe & Bella interview with Hadi Finerty of the Alzheimer's Association Illinois Chapter, who has spent years educating families affected by Alzheimer's and also helped care for her own grandmother with the disease.

Quick Answer: How Do You Help Someone With Alzheimer's Get Dressed?

Try these strategies:

1. Offer only one or two clothing choices
2. Keep the closet simple
3. Lay clothing out in the order it goes on
4. Give one instruction at a time
5. Allow plenty of time
6. Let the person do whatever they can independently
7. Check for discomfort when they resist clothing
8. Use easier clothing when buttons, zippers or pulling become difficult
9. Stop and reset if dressing becomes upsetting
10. Preserve the person's familiar style and preferences

The goal is not simply to get the clothes on.

It's to make dressing feel as calm, familiar and respectful as possible.

Why Does Dressing Become Difficult With Alzheimer's?

Getting dressed is more cognitively demanding than it looks.

Someone has to:

• Choose an appropriate outfit
• Identify each garment
• Determine which side is the front
• Remember which item goes on first
• Coordinate arms and legs
• Manage buttons, zippers or other fasteners
• Recognize whether clothing fits correctly
• Adjust clothing once it is on

As dementia progresses, one or several of those steps may become difficult.

Hadi Finerty described seeing this with her own grandmother.

Her family initially helped by laying out an outfit each day. Later, as the disease progressed, her grandmother sometimes needed help remembering even how to put a sweatshirt over her head.

The Alzheimer's Association similarly notes that a person may forget how to dress or become overwhelmed by either the choices or the task itself.

1. Reduce the Number of Clothing Choices

A full closet can be overwhelming.

Instead of asking:

"What do you want to wear today?"

while standing in front of dozens of shirts and pants, narrow the choice.

Try:

"Would you like the blue shirt or the green shirt?"

Hadi found this helpful with her grandmother.

As her grandmother's dementia progressed, the family kept fewer everyday choices available and offered two options rather than expecting her to navigate an entire closet.

Interestingly, her preferences changed too.

Hadi's grandmother had historically preferred more muted colors but later gravitated toward bright purple and hot pink.

Her family went with it.

That's an important lesson.

Simplifying choice does not mean removing choice altogether.

If someone can still express a preference, let them.

2. Simplify the Closet

Sometimes the easiest way to simplify dressing is to simplify the environment.

Keep everyday clothes:

• Easy to see
• Easy to reach
• Appropriate for the season
• Comfortable
• Relatively easy to combine
• You don't necessarily have to get rid of everything else.

Special-occasion clothing or less practical garments can be stored elsewhere.

The goal is to prevent someone from having to process an entire wardrobe each morning.

The Alzheimer's Association specifically recommends keeping closets free of excess clothing when too many choices become overwhelming.

3. Lay Clothes Out in the Order They Go On

Dressing requires sequencing.

That sequence can become difficult to remember.

Instead of placing an entire outfit in a pile, lay the clothing out in order.

For example:

1. Underwear
2. Pants
3. Shirt
4. Sweater
5. Socks
6. Shoes

Hadi described doing this with her grandmother and recommends organizing the dressing process before asking the person to begin.

It removes one more decision from the task.

4. Give One Item and One Instruction at a Time

"Go get dressed" sounds like one instruction.

It actually contains many.

Someone living with dementia may have difficulty translating that broad request into all the individual actions required.

Try making each instruction concrete.

Instead of:

"Put your shirt on."

you might say:

"Put your arm in this sleeve."

Wait.

Then:

"Now your other arm."

Hadi's family used this approach with her grandmother, handing her one item at a time and giving short, direct instructions.

Current Alzheimer's Association guidance recommends the same approach.

Give the person time to process each instruction before adding another one.

5. Don't Rush the Dressing Process

Caregivers often have a schedule.

The person you're helping may not.

That mismatch can create stress quickly.

You may be thinking:

We have a doctor's appointment in 20 minutes.

They may still be trying to understand why you're holding a pair of pants.

Build additional time into the routine whenever possible.

Rushing can increase anxiety, which can make the task even more difficult.

The Alzheimer's Association specifically advises caregivers not to rush dressing.

Sometimes starting 15 minutes earlier makes the entire experience easier.

6. Let Them Do What They Still Can

Helping does not have to mean taking over.

If the person can still:

• Choose between two shirts
• Put an arm through a sleeve
• Pull up part of their pants
• Close one fastener
• Put on their socks
• Adjust their collar

let them.

It may take longer.

It may not look perfect.

That's okay.

Maintaining participation can preserve a sense of independence and control.

The amount of help needed will likely change over time.

Adapt with the person rather than automatically doing everything for them.

7. If Someone Resists Clothing, Check for Discomfort

Resistance can be communication.

A person may not be able to explain:

"This waistband is digging into my stomach."

or:

"This fabric feels uncomfortable."

Hadi shared one striking example from her work with families.

A man with dementia repeatedly complained that his stomach hurt. His family sought medical evaluation but couldn't identify a cause.

Eventually, his wife noticed that he consistently fastened his belt far too tightly.

The discomfort was real.

He simply couldn't explain what was causing it.

When someone becomes upset during dressing, check the clothing itself.

Look for:

• A waistband that's too tight
• A belt that's over-tightened
• Scratchy fabric
• Tags or seams causing irritation
• Clothing that's too hot
• Tight cuffs
• Shoes that don't fit
• Clothing pulling awkwardly while seated
• A garment that's physically difficult to put on

Don't assume every dressing problem is behavioral.

Sometimes the clothes are uncomfortable.

8. Choose Comfortable, Easier-to-Manage Clothing

As dementia progresses, traditional clothing may introduce unnecessary complexity.

Small buttons require fine-motor coordination.

Zippers require sequencing and grip.

Tight pants may require considerable pulling.

Pullovers can become confusing when someone has difficulty determining where their arms or head should go.

Current Alzheimer's Association guidance recommends comfortable, simple clothing and specifically suggests loose fits, soft and stretchable fabrics, and easier closures when conventional fasteners become difficult.

Useful features may include:

• Flexible waistbands
• Stretch fabrics
• Front-opening shirts
• Easier closures
• Magnetic closures when appropriate
• Larger garment openings
• Side-opening pants
• Comfortable shoes

Adaptive clothing is not necessary simply because someone has Alzheimer's.

It becomes useful when a specific part of traditional clothing is making dressing harder. If traditional shirts, pants or fasteners have become difficult to manage, you can explore our adaptive clothing for dementia and Alzheimer's collection, designed for easier independent or caregiver-assisted dressing. 

Magnetic Shirts

A person may still want to wear a traditional-looking button-down but struggle to manipulate each individual button.

A magnetic button shirt can preserve the familiar appearance while replacing the conventional buttoning step.

Magnetic clothing is not appropriate for everyone. People with pacemakers, ICDs or other implanted medical devices that may be affected by magnets should follow the guidance of their healthcare provider and device manufacturer.

Easier-Opening Pants

If pulling pants from the feet to the waist becomes difficult, pants that open more fully may simplify dressing.

Side-opening adaptive pants can be particularly useful when someone:

• Dresses while seated
• Has limited mobility
• Has difficulty lifting the legs
• Receives caregiver assistance

The goal is not to make the clothing look different.

It's to make the process easier.

9. Know What to Do When Dressing Causes Agitation or Resistance

Dressing is personal.

Someone may feel confused, rushed, exposed or frightened when another person begins removing their clothes.

If the person becomes increasingly upset, continuing to push through the task may make things worse.

When it is safe to do so:

• Stop
• Give the person space
• Lower the pressure
• Reassure them
• Try redirecting to something else
• Return to dressing later

Also consider what may be triggering the reaction.

Are they:

• Cold?
• Tired?
• In pain?
• Embarrassed?
• Confused about who is helping them?
• Uncomfortable with the clothing?
• Needing to use the bathroom?
• Overwhelmed by too many instructions?

Hadi emphasized the importance of flexibility.

A dressing routine that worked six months ago may not work today.

The disease changes.

The routine sometimes has to change with it.

If someone is becoming physically aggressive and you cannot safely assist them, prioritize everyone's safety and discuss the recurring behavior with the person's healthcare or dementia-care team.

10. Communicate Simply and Respectfully

Dementia changes communication.

It does not make someone a child.

Hadi repeatedly emphasized treating the person with respect.

During dressing:

• Speak directly to them
• Use a calm voice
• Sit or stand at a comfortable eye level when possible
• Ask one question at a time
• Use short instructions
• Allow time for a response
• Avoid arguing about unnecessary details
• Reassure rather than criticize
• Redirect when the conversation becomes stuck
• For example, if someone puts a shirt on backward and it isn't causing a problem, consider whether correcting it is actually necessary.

A perfectly dressed person who is upset may not be a better outcome than a slightly mismatched person who completed much of the routine independently.

We've written a separate guide to how to communicate with someone with dementia if communication itself has become one of the more difficult parts of caregiving.

What If They Want to Wear the Same Clothes Every Day?

This is common enough that the Alzheimer's Association specifically addresses it.

If someone repeatedly wants to wear the same favorite shirt or outfit, consider buying duplicates or similar versions.

That allows you to wash one while preserving the familiarity of the other.

Familiar clothing can sometimes make dressing easier because the garment doesn't feel new or confusing.

Just make sure clothing is clean, appropriate for the weather and comfortable.

What If They Put Clothes on Incorrectly?

A shirt may be backward.

Colors may not match.

They may want combinations you would never choose.

Ask yourself:

Does this actually matter?

Hadi's grandmother began choosing combinations her family would not necessarily have selected.

Her advice was essentially to become more flexible.

If the clothing is:

• Comfortable
• Weather appropriate
• Safe
• Clean enough for the situation
• a mismatched outfit may not be worth an argument.

The Alzheimer's Association similarly encourages caregivers to focus less on whether everything matches and more on the person's successful participation in dressing.

What If Someone Refuses to Change Out of Pajamas?

Before treating it as a problem, ask why the pajamas may feel preferable.

Possibilities include:

• Familiarity
• Comfort
• Fewer fasteners
• Softer fabric
• Less complicated dressing
• Fatigue
• Anxiety about changing
• Feeling cold
• Not understanding why changing is necessary

One person interviewed by Joe & Bella described pajamas as feeling almost like a "second skin."

Hadi noted that she had not specifically seen clothing-related skin sensitivity as a universal dementia symptom, which is an important distinction.

Don't assume sensory sensitivity is caused by Alzheimer's.

Instead, pay attention to what the individual person is communicating through their behavior.

If pajamas are simply easier and there is no practical reason they need to change immediately, flexibility may help.

Dressing Someone Who Uses a Wheelchair

Dressing can become more complicated when someone remains seated for much of the day.

Consider both:

How the clothing goes on

and

How it feels after several hours of sitting

Look for:

• Comfortable waistbands
• Stretch fabrics
• Adequate coverage while seated
• Pants that don't require extensive standing to manage
• Larger openings
• Easy caregiver access when needed

The Alzheimer's Association specifically recommends considering clothing that supports privacy and comfort for wheelchair users.

Preserve Personal Style

This was one of the most interesting parts of our conversation with Hadi.

Clothing is not purely functional.

It can be tied closely to identity.

Someone who has worn button-down shirts for 60 years may still want to look like someone who wears button-down shirts.

Someone who has always preferred dresses may continue to care deeply about that preference.

And tastes can change too.

Hadi's grandmother surprised her family by becoming more interested in bright colors as her dementia progressed.

The lesson isn't that everyone with Alzheimer's suddenly likes purple.

It's that the person's preferences still matter.

Adaptive clothing should ideally modify how the garment works, not dictate how the person is supposed to look.

Independent Dressing vs. Assisted Dressing

Dementia affects everyone differently.

If Someone Still Dresses Mostly Independently

Look for ways to preserve that ability.

You might:

• Reduce clothing choices
• Organize the closet
• Lay clothes out in sequence
• Simplify fasteners
• Offer verbal prompts
• Allow additional time
• If Someone Needs Some Assistance

Consider:

• Giving one garment at a time
• Guiding one step at a time
• Using clothing with larger openings
• Helping only with the difficult parts
• Dressing while seated when appropriate

If Someone Needs Significant Hands-On Assistance

The caregiver may need clothing that opens more fully and requires less lifting, pulling or repositioning.

At this stage, an occupational therapist or other member of the person's care team may also be helpful in evaluating dressing techniques, mobility and assistive equipment.

The Goal Is Not a Perfect Outfit

Dressing someone with Alzheimer's requires flexibility.

What worked last year may not work now.

What worked yesterday may not work this morning.

Sometimes the shirt won't match the pants.

Sometimes getting dressed will take longer than you'd like.

Sometimes the person will need more help.

And sometimes the best decision is to stop, reset and try again.

The goal isn't a perfectly coordinated outfit.

It's helping someone remain comfortable, involved and respected through a task that may be becoming increasingly difficult.

As Hadi told us, caregivers have to be adaptive too.

The disease changes.

The person changes.

And the dressing routine has to be allowed to change with them.

About This Article

This guide is based in part on Joe & Bella's interview with Hadi Finerty of the Alzheimer's Association Illinois Chapter. Hadi has worked extensively with families affected by Alzheimer's and other dementias and also helped care for her own grandmother after her Alzheimer's diagnosis.

Her first-hand caregiver experience and professional work with families informed many of the practical dressing and communication strategies included here.

This article has also been updated to reflect current Alzheimer's Association dressing guidance. Please explore our full collection of adaptive clothing for dementia and Alzheimer's.

Sources

• Alzheimer's Association, Dressing & Grooming
• Alzheimer's Association, Dressing caregiver tip sheet
• Joe & Bella interview with Hadi Finerty, Alzheimer's Association Illinois Chapter

Disclaimer

This article is for general informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Dementia affects people differently, and a sudden or significant change in behavior, mobility, comfort or ability to complete daily activities should be discussed with the person's healthcare team.