FOR Lorraine Oliver, designing clothes is about improving her clients' quality of life.
For years, Oliver worked in the administrative offices at Kiwanis Care Centre in North Vancouver. During her daily interactions with residents and care aides, she heard about problems with the design of adaptive clothing that was being used by clients at the centre.
So she decided to do something about it. "I really got interested in it and came up with some patterns that worked," she says.
In 2006, Oliver designed a few patterns for adaptive clothing with improvements based on the concerns she heard while working with people in care.
Soon after, she and her husband moved to Vancouver Island, and Oliver took up the cause full time. She now owns Cut Outs Design, which specializes in clothing adapted for easy dress and undress, specifically for people in wheelchairs or those who otherwise require assistance dressing. The name of the company was inspired by Oliver's love of paper dolls when she was a kid.
While style is a consideration in her designs, other features are practical.
One of the first important design elements Oliver considered was to use breathable fabrics, such as polycotton blends, rather than the more-common polyester blends being used in adaptive clothing. She notes fabrics that don't breathe are not the best option for clients who spend all day in a bed or a wheelchair.
"You don't want to be in a polyester that doesn't breathe, it's so uncomfortable," she says.
Another problem with some adaptive clothing designs are snaps that are positioned on pressure points, such as at the back along the spine or on the shoulder bone, causing discomfort for clients who are sitting or lying all day, explains Oliver.
Her designs feature snaps at the sides of shirts and pants, and away from pressure points. She also sews snaps onto tape on the clothing so the metal part of the snap is not sitting on skin.
Some adaptive clothing designs also feature tight elastic around the waist, which Oliver has also improved for her own designs, noting a tight waist elastic is uncomfortable for people sitting in wheelchairs all day.
Many of Oliver's designs are adapted for people who require rolling or lifting to get dressed or change clothes. For this reason, Cut Outs Design offers pants that open out completely rather than the more common design of other brands that features just a small hole in the back. Oliver explains this enables caregivers to more easily slip pants on and off by rolling the client rather than having to slide the pants up and down the length of the legs.
Lifting, turning and moving clients can be difficult for caregivers, and can be frustrating for patients with dementia or Alzheimer's disease who may not know what is happening to them, notes Oliver. Being able to dress and undress with minimal intrusion can be very important.
Another important improvement Oliver incorporated into her designs was lengthening and widening clothing flaps to offer better back coverage. This is particularly important for people who are incontinent and wear adult diapers.
"You want to have enough coverage so if you get up in the wheelchair or you're taken to the washroom, as a dignity thing, you'd like to be covered and feel good about yourself," explains Oliver. She says she heard from people in facilities who complained about clothing that didn't fully cover them in the back.
"It's really about looking and feeling good while maintaining dignity and enjoyment of your appearance," says Oliver of her designs. "A lot of people don't know what the clothing is until their family member gets in that situation."
She adds: "Do they really need it? Yea, they do, they do need it."
Cut Outs Design adaptive clothing is available at various locations on the North Shore, and is also available to order from the website.
For more information, visit www. cutoutsdesign.com, or call 250-337-0069.
