Clothes For Independent Living:
Convenience Fastenings

Clothes with side or front openings, longer openings and fasteners within easy reach and easy to grasp can make dressing and undressing easier for the physically challenged or the aging adult.

Easy slipover or slip-on clothing styles of knitted fabric (especially with large openings for the arms, head and legs) may eliminate the need for fastenings or keep them to a minimum.

The following fastenings offer such possibilities. The usefulness of various types of garment fasteners will vary with individual preferences.

Buttons and Buttonholes

• Large, somewhat textured buttons are easier to grasp.
  
• Buttonholes should be large enough to easily slip over the button. Sometimes vertical buttonholes are easier to manage. A buttoner, purchased or made, can assist when finger movement is limited.
  
• Elastic loops sewed into a seam or on the edge of an opening can be slipped easily over buttons.

• Sew buttons on with elastic thread to slide the hand through without unbuttoning.
  
• Make a slip-through cufflink type sleeve by sewing a button on both ends of the cuff (on the right side) and attach an elastic thread chain between the buttons.
  
• Use large, trouser type hooks and bars on waistbands; several bars on the band can make it adjustable. Large hook-and-eye fasteners are easier to manage. There are several types of bars used with hooks. (See Figure 3.)

Large snaps or gripper snaps are easier to manipulate but require pressure to close. They are best used when a closing will not have much strain or tension.

Zipper Slide Fastenings

• Coordinate the zipper weight and flexibility with the weight of the fabric and any strain the fastening will have.
  
• Be sure zippers lock securely and slide easily; a lubrication wax can help to make zipping easier.
  
• Fasten a plastic or metal ring or a thread loop to the zipper pull tab to make it easier to grasp. A thread chain loop on the garment at the bottom end of a zipper helps the person with limited hand functioning stabilize the zipper when closing it.
  Separating zippers can completely open a seam such as the sides of slacks or skirts. Back zippers that are next to the skin with an underlay of fabric or tape.

(A tape with synthetic-fiber hooks on one side and loops on the other that grip together and peel apart. One brand name is VelcroŽ.)

Use hook-and-loop pressure tape in small pieces or a continuous strip. A continuous strip may create a stiff, non-pliable line that can be uncomfortable for the wearer.

The holding strength of such tape depends on the amount of tape used and the amount of pressure applied in closing.

• Waistband on clothes can be adjustable with hook-and-loop pressure tape.
  
• Hook-and-loop pressure tape can replace buttons and buttonholes. To keep the "buttoned" look, remove the buttons and sew on top of the buttonhole.
  
• Use hook-and-loop pressure tape partially, or, completely open seams of slacks or skirts to insert full length front or side openings of clothes.
  
• Keep hook-and-loop pressure tape closed when laundering clothes so lint doesn't collect and lessen the effectiveness of the grip.

Your Health

How Healthy Is Your Body Weight?

In a society where "thin is in," many people worry about being overweight. Little attention is paid to those who are underweight. We assume because someone is thin, he or she has few health risks. While being overweight is a proven risk factor for heart disease and other chronic diseases, being underweight and/or losing weight unexpectedly is just as much of a health risk. If an underweight person becomes ill, he or she may not have enough fat to provide the body with adequate energy to fight infection and repair itself.

How do you decide what is a healthy body weight for you? Below is a chart of estimated weights for males and females age 50 and older. These weights are only estimates. You may weigh more or less depending on your frame size.

These numbers give you only a general idea of a healthy body weight. There is nothing magical about weighing a certain amount. The chart is helpful only as a guideline. There are many reasons why you may not weigh enough or suddenly lose weight. Prescription drugs, dental problems, grief, chronic illness, and poor digestion all contribute to weight changes in older adults. If you have lost weight recently or just don't weigh enough, here are some ways to gain weight:

Exercise: When you become more active, your appetite will increase because your body will need more food. Find something you like to do and do it as often as possible. Walking is great. Here in Georgia you can walk almost any time of the year. Many shopping malls have walking programs and open early for those who just need a place to walk.

Eat healthy and often: Don't skip meals! Eating more often will increase the speed of your metabolism. When you eat a healthy diet, your energy level will increase and you will feel more hungry. Include a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet. If your appetite is still poor, try eating smaller meals three times a day with snacks in between. Choose healthy snacks such as a piece of fruit or crackers and cheese. Eat any time you are hungry, even if it's not during a planned meal time. Carry nutritious snacks with you all the time so food is always available whenever you get hungry.

Nutritional supplements: If you cannot eat enough food, you may want to try special fortified drinks. If you cannot drink cow's milk or need extra calories or more fiber, look for special canned, ready-to-serve nutritional drinks at the grocery store or pharmacy. These are more expensive, but you may digest them better or get more of the nutrients you need.

These special drinks are convenient and come in a variety of flavors. Drink them as they are or use them to make milkshakes and other recipes. To make a milkshake, take a cup of the liquid supplement and add an extra cup of 2% milk. Then blend in half a cup of ice cream. This milkshake provides about 600 extra calories to your diet.

Talk to your doctor, dietitian or pharmacist about these products if you want to try them. They can direct you to the product that will work best for you. But remember, eating more regular food is always best. Use these special drinks only if you cannot eat enough calories.

Remember, although being overweight increases your risk of chronic disease, being underweight can reduce your body's ability to fight an illness. Having a healthy body weight is important and may add many healthy years to your life!

Tropical Milk Shake
1 cup frozen peaches
1 medium banana
1 cup plain non-fat yogurt
˝ cup orange juice
1-2 teaspoons sugar or 1 packet artificial sweetener

Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend on high. May need to stop and stir ingredients several times to insure that the drink is blended smoothly. Pour into tall glasses and garnish with a orange slice. Will thicken with refrigeration; thin with milk or juice as desired or eat with a spoon.
Makes two servings.

Calories: 220
Carbohydrate: 46 grams
Protein: 8 grams
Fat: 0.5 grams
Cholesterol: 2 milligrams
Sodium: 88 milligrams

Your Relationships

Parenting Again

More than a million families in the U.S. are made up of grandparents raising their grandchildren. Almost one child in 20 lives in a home headed by a grandparent, without the parents present. For some grandparents, this is a role the enjoy and welcome. For others who looked forward to senior years free of diapers and carpooling, parenting again requires a major change in their plans. The following poem, by Jo Ann Rampey, expresses more of the latter point of view.

I just wanted to be a grandma
When the grandbabies were born.
Play with the little ones and hold their hands,
Maybe let them help me bake cookies.
I wanted to take them to the park and play in the sand,
But I had to be their mother instead.

I just wanted to be their grandma,
take them to the movie or the county fair;
Maybe walk through the woods and watch the birds,
Take them with me for a short vacation, fly through the air.
But I had to be their daddy instead.

I'm older now and slower now. I'm tired,
too tired to let them help color eggs,
And too tired to help them bake a cake,
Or chop fruit for Jell-O, or let them help wash dishes.
I just work to get it done.

We don't play hide-and-seek under the covers any more.
Where's Jeremiah? Where'd that kid go?
We don't tickle ribs and necks and thunder thighs.
I don't ask, "Are you Mammy's boy?" anymore.
I know who they are, but who am I?

I can't be Mommy, because I'm Mother -- or Daddy.
But I'm not Mother or Daddy --
There are other people called those names.
And I don't want to be Mother or Daddy.
I just wanted to be a grandma.

My grandkids have been cheated;
They don't have a mother or daddy --
They're off down the road somewhere, doing their thing.
And the kids don't have a grandma because
I have to be somebody that I don't want to be.
And I've been cheated, too.
I just wanted to be a grandma.

The AARP has created the Grandparent Information Center for seniors in this situation. The Center publishes a newsletter, and may be contacted at (202) 434-2296 for more information.

Reference: AARP Grandparent Information Center

The University of Georgia and Ft. Valley State College, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and counties of the state cooperating. The Cooperative Extension Service offers educational programs, assistance and materials to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, age, sex, or disability. For large print, taped or braille editions of this publication, contact the author.

An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Organization Committed to a Diverse Work Force

DP-RM&HD-104 September, 1996

Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating.

Gale A. Buchanan, Dean and Director