Activities of Daily LivingDifficulty 2/5
A resident has a weak right arm and needs help putting on a shirt. Which arm goes in first?
- ABoth arms together, to reduce the time the resident is uncovered
- BThe right arm, because the affected side is dressed first
- CThe left arm, because the stronger side is dressed first
- DEither arm, provided the resident is seated upright throughout
Show answer and rationale
Correct: B. The affected limb has less range, so it goes in while the garment is still loose and unobstructed. Undressing reverses it: the stronger side comes out first. The NNAAP skill is written around exactly this.
- C — Dressing the strong side first leaves the weak arm to be forced into a tightened sleeve.
- D — Position matters but does not remove the rule about which side leads.
- A — Dressing both arms at once is not achievable and risks injuring the affected limb.