Toward enabling winter occupations: testing a winter coat designed for older adults.

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Rehabilitation Engineering
• Human Factors Engineering

Background:

• Older adults face challenges with winter clothing, increasing their risk of social isolation.
• Adaptive winter coats requiring less flexibility, strength, and dexterity can support this demographic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a novel winter coat prototype featuring a funnel sleeve design.
• Assessing both objective measurements and subjective user perceptions of the coat's performance.

Main Methods:

• A pilot study involving eight older adults.
• Comparison of three coat types: participant's own, a coat with a sleeve gripper, and the prototype funnel sleeve coat.
• Evaluation using shoulder range of motion (ROM) measurements and participant surveys.

Main Results:

• The prototype funnel sleeve coat demonstrated reduced shoulder ROM requirements during donning.
• Survey results indicated limited utility of the sleeve gripper design.
• Objective ROM data corroborated the subjective feedback on the sleeve gripper.

Conclusions:

• A funnel sleeve design shows potential for reducing shoulder ROM demands in winter coats for older adults.
• This design may enhance ease of use and independence for seniors in cold weather conditions.
• Further research into adaptive clothing designs is warranted to address mobility challenges in aging populations.