For the elder or infirm, for arthritic persons or for those who just have a difficult time with fine motor skills, such as children — dressing oneself can be one of the hardest tasks in the day. While caregivers or spouses may assist with other difficult tasks, such as eating or transport, getting dressed is one of those very private activities that most people like to do by themselves!

Here is the countdown of the top 5 types of dressing aids that many mobility-impaired folks tend to favor:

#5: Adapted Belts

Many people who have had strokes can use one hand quite well…but the other hand isn’t up to the challenge. Most of our life’s daily activities require the use of two hands. Persons who have the use of one hand appreciate the one-handed belt, a clever dressing aid that helps a person get dressed much faster than before.

#4: Extended Shoehorns

Unless you have a closet full of slippers and old loafers, chances are you need to bend far down to get your shoes on. The problem is that most style-conscious people need to wear something other than slippers and loafers! Women’s pumps and men’s lace-ups can be most difficult to get on — even with a shoehorn. That’s why extended and telescopic shoehorns are the ticket.

#3: Elastic Shoelaces

Elastic shoelaces fall into the “Why Haven’t I Always Used These?” category. It’s a mystery why anyone would even deal with traditional shoelaces once they try these elastic shoe laces that let you dress in a snap (no pun intended!) They look wonderful and no one will ever notice that you don’t have cloth shoelaces. You’ll put on your shoes in half the time.

#2: Help with Putting on Socks and Stockings

Have you ever noticed how difficult it is for kids to learn how to put on socks? They even learn how to put on pants, underwear, and shoes long before they can master this exacting project. So, it should be no wonder that anyone who has difficulty with their hands, visual skills, and coordination — such as the elderly or arthritic persons — has a hard time with this. Stocking and sock aids help by forming the item into an open, rigid shape, and then by guiding the foot in.

#1: Buttoning and Zipping Devices

And the winner…? What is the single most frustrating clothing item to deal with if you have difficulty with your vision or with your grasp? If you guessed buttons and zippers, you’re right. The manufacturers of assistive devices know what a pain it is to locate, grasp, and move those tiny zippers and buttons. As a result, there is a wide range of rings, pulls, and grips for zippers and buttons that let you dress with complete ease. If you prefer to do without zippers or buttons, Velcro buttons replace existing buttons and quickly stick together to hold clothing firmly in place.