I wrote the other day about how we transformed Namine’s closet from a normal one into something more accessible to her. Well, we started to, anyway. We got the new shelving unit in there, but we hadn’t yet actually put any of her clothes on the shelves. I’m happy to say that that’s done, now.
Getting dressed
This morning, Namine did not ask for this outfit or that. She didn’t yell “Moooo-oooom” or “Daaaaaa-aaaad” so that we could get a pair of pants or a shirt. No, this morning she did for herself what we’ve had to do for her in the past. She got her own clothes down off the shelves in her closet, and got herself dressed.
Namine’s dresser is still in her room, but now it’s empty. Jessica, Namine, and I organized the clothes from the dresser and those that were hanging in the closet into neat piles on shelves. For her part, Namine is quite thrilled to have gained another thing which she can do herself.
As for getting herself dressed, Namine can do that with nearly complete autonomy. Due to the movement limitations in her right shoulder, Namine sometimes still has difficulty removing shirts, so we still lend a hand. Socks can be a little tricky too, and she’s still learning how to bunch them up before fitting them over her toes.
I had always thought that getting her pants on would be the hardest thing for Namine, but it’s not. It involves a bit of rolling around, simply because she can’t stand up on her own for any great length of time without her walker, but she can do it all by herself.
Getting ready for bed
Aside from keeping Namine’s pajamas being on a shelf that she can reach — as opposed to a dresser drawer she can’t — we’ve done some other things to provide Namine some agency in getting herself ready for bed. I draw Namine’s medicine, but she’s actually been taking them herself for some time.
For obvious reasons, Namine can’t stand at the bathroom counter. I’ve written before about Namine’s sink that we’ve placed outside the bathroom; she was using it just for washing her hands before dinner and after going potty (and she still does), but we’ve added some things to it so she can get herself ready for bed. Along with her evening medicine, she now keeps her toothbrush and mouthwash there, as well.
I still check Namine’s teeth after she’s done getting ready for bed, but she does a good job. At the last appointment, her dentist congratulated us on doing such a good job taking care of Namine’s teeth. But we couldn’t take most of the credit; that goes to Namine herself.
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