Sock Aid Essentials: Helping Loved Ones Maintain Independence
Living with a disability or chronic condition can affect your care recipient’s ability to engage in everyday self-care tasks. As a caregiver, you may support them with these daily activities. You may wonder if you’re doing it “the right way”, or if there’s any way you can make these activities easier.
Trualta can help. Check if you have free access to educational resources and tools that can help you:
- Learn step-by-step instructions for helping with specific care tasks
- Find assistive devices and equipment that can help
- Support your care recipient’s independence with everyday activities
What Is A Sock Aid?
A sock aid is exactly what it sounds like–a device that helps a person put on socks! It consists of a flat or cylinder-shaped base with two fabric straps attached. It allows a person to pull their socks on without having to bend over or ask another person for help.
A sock aid can be an excellent tool to help a care recipient who has challenges with:
- Bending
- Reaching
- Strength
- Grip
- Range of motion
- Pain
It’s also a great tool to use in the first few months of hip surgery recovery. Many patients may have to follow hip precautions from their surgeon, which don’t allow them to bend over.
4 Ways Sock Aids Support You & Your Loved One
While a sock aid is a simple piece of equipment, it can offer lots of benefits. Here are 4 ways that a sock aid can help a person–other than by simply putting on their socks!
1. Supports Independence
Research shows that being more dependent with activities of daily living–especially personal care activities–is associated with mental health decline. Finding ways to support their independence with daily tasks is important, no matter how small. For your care recipient, putting on socks on their own might greatly impact their self-esteem and how they view their ability to do tasks.
2. Helps Reduce Caregiver Workload
Even small tasks can add up. As a caregiver, you know that it’s important to find ways to lighten your load and reduce the risk of caregiver burnout. By supporting your care recipient’s independence, putting on socks is one less caregiving task that you need to help with.
3. Easy To Use & Access
While sock aids may look complicated, they require little training to use. Many videos are available online to help your care recipient learn to use them. While they can range in price depending on their features, simple models can offer an affordable way to help with dressing.
Sock aids are also easily accessible. Many drugstores carry them, but you can also order them online. You can also talk to an occupational therapist (OT) to give you suggestions on how to find or order them.
4. Meet Individual Needs & Preferences
In addition to the traditional sock aid for everyday socks, your care recipient can explore other options to meet their needs and preferences. An OT can help you and your care recipient figure out which type is best.
- Different materials. Some sock aids are made of a soft, bendable fabric. Others are made from metal or hard plastic and are more rigid.
- Different shapes. Some may be more of a generic shape, while others are contoured. Some models may be larger to accommodate larger foot sizes or swelling.
- Different sizes. Some models are longer and go up the calf, while others are shorter. Some are also designed to be very compact for easy travel.
- Different handles. Some varieties have looped hand pulls that allow the individual to pull on the sock using one hand.
- Different purposes. Some sock aids are designed to help an individual put on a compression garment, like compression socks, independently.
Looking for more information about adaptive equipment, helping with personal care tasks, or other caregiving challenges? Check if you have free access to Trualta’s library of resources and caregiver community.
References
- https://agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jgs.16423
- https://www.performancehealth.ca/sammons-preston-compression-stocking-aid?srsltid=AfmBOooP5OODL8zaoLEcwIh1lJbozcIALSSv5_fz7No9SOtPPtmetbxf
- https://www.abilitysuperstore.com/blogs/news/what-are-the-best-sock-aids
- https://www.performancehealth.ca/sock-stocking-aid-built-up-foam-handles?srsltid=AfmBOooV-Hd5S0glpUX1ZQF9xJRb2BPDkm5n8WhK2exy9W0G4KH65qED
