CA1079238A

CA1079238A - Dressing aid

Info

Publication number: CA1079238A
Application number: CA313,423A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Joseph Jacobucci
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1978-10-13
Filing date: 1978-10-13
Publication date: 1980-06-10

Abstract

ABSTRACT
A device for use by physically handicapped persons to facilitate donning and removing socks or stockings. A pair of small rods or the like are rolled into the top of the sock and securely and releasably held in place by a pair of spring clips each attached to an extension arm. The user pulls the sock over the foot and when in place releases the spring clips and removes the rods. One of the extension arms is preferably provided with a flattened end to facilitate removal of the sock and the other may be provided with a hook to facilitate retrie-val of a discarded sock.

Description

-- 10'79Z38 This invention relates to a dressing aid for use by elderly or physically handicapped persons. More particularly this invention relates to a device to assist the user to don a sock or stocking.
One of the most diff~cult garments to don unaided is a sock or stocking because it requires considerable flexi-bility of the back to reach down to the feet or considerable flexibility of the knee and hip to ralse the foot to a position where it can be reached manually. Many elderly and physicàlly handicapped people lack the flexibility for the required manoeuvers and while they may be able to don all or most of their other garments, they experience considerable difficulty, if indeed not total inability, in donning a sock or stocking and they are therefore dependent upon outside assistance. As is well known, dependence upon others for personal services can be extre~ely frustrating to a handicapped person and thus bad for his psycholo~ical well being. Provision of ~anipula-tive aids to dressing are, therefore, of cons~derable value for rehabilitative therapy and help to restore the h~ndicapped person's sense of independence.
- Several devices to assist in putting on socks have heretofoxe been sug~ested but all have certain disadvantages of cost o~ co~plicati~n of construction and use so that none is co~pletely satisfactory, ~ t is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a simple, inexpensive device for use by a handi-capped pers~n to assist ln donning a sock or stocking By one aspect of the invention there is provided a device for use by physically handicapped persons to facilitate . . .
:' ' ., - : ~ ' ; . . -` :1079238 donning a sock or stocking, comprising:
(a) retaining means for insertion into a sock adjacent the open end thereof;
(b) an extension arm; and ! (c) clip means mounted at one end of said extension arm for releasably securing said retaining means in said sock adjacent said open end thereof.
The invention will be described in more detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings `in which:
Figure 1 is an isometric view of one embodiment of the device of the present invention; and Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view, taken along line 2-2 of the device of Figure 1.
As is obvious, if a person cannot bend down to reach his feet nor bend his leg sufficiently to bring his foot ; ~ , within reach of his hand, then it is necessary to provide . a suita~le substantially rigid extension 1 which can be held -:

manually and which will thus bring the foot within reach. It ,~ 20 is then necessary to provide a means to releasably secure ': the extension 1 to a sock 2. As shown in Figures 1 and 2 1~ there i8 provided a clip 3, similar to that used for securing , ..
papers, and comprising a spring circlet 4 with lips 5 and lever arms 6 and 7. Lever arm 6 is rigidly secured to one end of the extension 1 and the lever arm 7 cooperates there-i, .
; with to open and close lips 5 against the pressure of the ; spring 4. A short length of rod, dowel or the like 8 is provided for clamping between lips 5 as explained in more .

~: detail hereinafter. The rod 8 may be fabricated in wood, ,. :

- 2 -metal, rubber or the like and may be either substantially rigid or flexible and the cross-section thereof is a matter of choice.
In use, a pair of devices as hereinbefore described are used, and it will be appreciated that the extensions 1 may be interconnected, in any convenient manner, if desired, to facilitate use thereofby a one armed patient or the like.
A pair of rods are placed adjacent the top edge 9 of a sock 2 substantially diametrically opposite each other and thè
top of the sock is then turned or rolled over to encompass the rods 8 as shown most clearly in Figure 2. Lips S of clip 3 are opened by manual pressure on levers 6 and 7 and the clips 3 are placed over the rolled sock top and its associated rods 8 as shown in Figure 1 so as to securely grip the top 9 of the sock. Holding extensions 1 slightly apart causes the rolled top 10 of the sock 2 to assume a substantially rectangular shape which facilitates ingress of the foot. The patient then pulls evenly on the extensions 1 while gently moving the foot or sliding the foot over the floor, to draw the sock onto the foot, over the heel and up the leg. When in place the clips 3 and rods 8 are removed and the top 9 of the sock is straightened.
In a preferred embodiment, the device may also be used to facilitate removal of a sock and in this instance the free end of one extension 1 is provided with a flattened enlarged portion 11, similar to a conventional shoe horn.
The free end of the other extension 1 is provided with a hook 12. To remove the sock the flattened portion 11 is inserted between the top 9 of the sock and the leg, adjacent .' . . : , ' . :' . .. : . -the heel, and the extension is pushed down so as to assist movement of the sock over the heel. The hook 12 may be employed to pick up the sock from the floor after rPmoval.
It will be appreciated that flattened portion 11 may also be employed as a shoe horn to facilitate donning of a shoe, in conventional manner.

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Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A device for use by physically handicapped persons to facilitate donning a sock or stocking, comprising:
(a) retaining means for insertion into a sock adjacent the open end thereof;
(b) an extension arm; and (c) clip means mounted at one end of said extension arm for releasably securing said retaining means in said sock adjacent said open end thereof.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said retain-ing means comprises rod means for enclosure in a rolled top of said sock.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said clip means comprises a spring clip superimposable on said rod means contained in said rolled top.

4. A device for use by physically handicapped persons to facilitate donning a sock or stocking, comprising a pair of devices as claimed in claim 3 for mounting on opposite sides of the open end of a sock.

5. A device as claimed in claim 4 wherein one of said extension arms is provided with a flattened end to facilitate removal of said sock.

6. A device as claimed in claim 4 or 5 wherein one of said extension arms is provided with a hook at one end thereof to facilitate retrieval of a discarded sock.

7. A device as claimed in claim 4 wherein said pair of extension arms are operatively interconnected to facilitate use by a one handed person.