Innovative Aging Episode 3: Dressing With Dignity: Can Adaptive Apparel Promote ADL Success?

Nicole Cuervo, founder and CEO of Springrose, joins host Carol Chiang, OTR/L, CAPS, ECHM, CHAMP, to explore how adaptive apparel can make dressing more accessible, dignified, and empowering for your patients. Drawing on her background in human-centered design and deep collaboration with rehab professionals, Nicole shares how innovative clothing solutions are transforming an often-overlooked ADL. She and Carol dig into clinical challenges, emotional impacts, and practical strategies you can use today. Join us as we rethink dressing as more than a task, it's a pathway to independence and identity.Learning ObjectivesAnalyze the evidence supporting adaptive apparel as a clinical solution for supporting dressing-related independence and participation in people with physical or cognitive limitationsDetermine situations in which adaptive apparel provides the most benefit to individuals experiencing dressing challenges due to pain, range-of-motion limitations, tremors, or caregiver relianceSolve patient case scenarios that involve selecting and clinically applying adaptive apparel to address dressing-related performance barriers in ADLsTimestamps(00:00:00) Welcome(00:00:05) The importance of independent dressing(00:03:15) Innovative solutions in adaptive apparel(00:11:50) Challenges in adaptive clothing(00:17:40) Understanding user needs(00:19:20) Designing for diverse needs(00:24:45) The role of clinicians in adaptive apparel(00:29:00) When adaptive apparel isn't the answer(00:38:00) Navigating financial barriers(00:41:00) Innovative approaches to adaptive clothing(00:43:40) Empowering patients through choiceInnovative Aging is brought to you by Medbridge. If you’d like to earn continuing education credit for listening to this episode and access bonus takeaway handouts, log in to your Medbridge account and navigate to the course where you’ll find accreditation details. If applicable, complete the post-course assessment and survey to be eligible for credit. The takeaway handout on Medbridge gives you the key points mentioned in this episode, along with additional resources you can implement into your practice right away.If you’d like to subscribe to Medbridge, visit ⁠⁠https://www.medbridge.com/pricing/