She can still manage to dress herself partly, but it is after repeated explanations on my part and repeated questions on her part. I have been helping her to dress when she is about to get frustrated, but now that she is more confused, I am getting frustrated. It will be easier to do it myself.
Does your mom want your help? Does she need to dress in a hurry? Each person is different. My DH Aunt felt rushed by me when I tried to help sometimes. Other times she felt she could do everything but needed help with the buttons. After awhile she dispensed with wearing shoes and just decided on socks. Then she started wearing the same clothes to bed that she had on during the day and saw no reason to change her clothes at all. Then came a need for depends. The changes keep coming. She is now in pjs at night and sometimes during the day. She has also stopped buttoning her shirts and leaves them open over a tee shirt. . This is new behavior of maybe a week. She lives at home and mostly deals with caregivers so it’s really no big deal. She’s changed each day and gets a shower most days.
Try to avoid the stress. If mom wants to change herself but needs company to keep on track, maybe get a cup of coffee and chat with her while she’s dressing and then help with the bits she struggles with.
My mom had a weak arm. In occupational therapy she learned a few tricks that were helpful to her, like threading her depends and slacks on both legs and then pulling them up together. She had numb fingertips so she wore pullover tee shirts to avoid the buttons. Or she left the shirt buttoned and pulled it over her head. She never asked for help with dressing or seemed to need it. Her frustration was deciding what to wear when going out. We solved that by having a few Go To outfits for doctor visits with an eye to easy removal in the doctors office. So anything you can do to lessen the frustration for you and her is the best thing to do but I do understand not wanting her to grow dependent too soon. Again the best course is the one that works for the both of you and creates the less fuss. As her disease progresses, she will need more help and your expectations will adjust.
I do think it’s good to have a routine yet be flexible.
I am so sorry that your mom is struggling. It’s hard watching a parent decline. It becomes a huge responsibility for children that are caregivers. My heart goes out to you. I was mom’s caregiver for many years.