Is there a trick to pulling up pants when resident has trouble standing??

[Dorali, BSN, LPN, RN]

I struggle sooo much with this!

It is hard for me to pull up pants & briefs when the residents can barely stand upright. Usually mine can hold their weight but lean forward so much. It seems like the other CNAs manage, but I have a hard time. They may be struggling too, but I never see it. Is there an easier way? Or a trick I don't know about?

[fuzzywuzzy, CNA]

I just shimmy them as high as I can before pulling them up. Sometimes I lean their body against mine like a hug, then once their pants are up I grab the waistband and swivel them into the chair. Are there grab bars or anything that the residents can use to help stand?

[yousoldtheworld]

Yep, like fuzzy said, I pull them up as high as they will go before standing them up, then I have them give me a hug, if able, and stand them up, pulling the back of the pants as well as I can. Once you get the back up, the front is easy.

[Thirdwatch]

Good advice! I used to have trouble doing it too. I wish I could do the hug thing...but I'm a CNA at a prison...and huging is not allowed with the inmates. I pull them as high as I can before standing them up then pull the back.

[NurseCubanitaRN2b, BSN, RN]

Ouchhhh very back drenching. The best way is to pull them up as high as you can while they're in bed. When you attempt to stand them up, you and someone else can pull them up then. If you don't have the help, then have them hold onto a bed rail or something. You can also push them side to side in the bed until they are up.

[yousoldtheworld]

Well, of course you're going to put their pants on them in bed if they are already in bed. But that's not an option when they are on the toilet or in a chair. Nor is there always a good rail to hold on to, or is the resident able to hold onto it.

Most of the time, if I'm dressing a resident like this, I don't have to bear much of their weight and them holding onto me is a stability thing, and not at all hard on my back.

[Dorali, BSN, LPN, RN]

That's pretty much how I do it too. Hike it up as much as possible, hug em, and do the best I can.

As I was writing the original post, I thought of putting a wheelchair in front of them to hold on to. I use walkers as much as possible, which helps a lot, but I don't trust them very much.

Thank you for your suggestions! I guess I'm doing it right. As much as I can anyway!

[fuzzywuzzy, CNA]

Sometimes you have to get creative. Like when getting someone from a shower chair to their wheelchair, you need to pull up their pants and you don't trust them to stand that long... rather than hit the call light for help (no one will answer it because you can't even see it from the hallway), I just wheel the person into the bathroom that's inside the shower room, have them use the grab bar to get on the toilet, then I ditch the shower chair and roll the wheelchair in. Then I can easily dry their butt and pull their pants up while they hold the bar, without struggling to keep them from tipping over.

[loriangel14, RN]

If you can't do it alone then obviously you need help. I work in a hospital and you wouldn't do this alone if they can't stand. Get help so you don't hurt yourself or the patient.