07/31/2021
Hello Everyone!
We received a request from a local assisted living facility to help them make "dignity bibs." This is a brainstormed idea from their staff, and they need our skills and expertise to figure out how to make it happen.
The idea is: for residents who need help with basic needs such as food, staff use a large bib-like covering to protect clothing. By modifying a shirt or blouse so that it can be used during mealtimes, this saves the residents from an embarrassing experience.
I am posting photos of a button-down shirt and a sample of the actual bib that they use today.
Features to keep:
* There is a soft layer and an absorbent layer
* Is quite long and almost shoulder-width for good coverage
* this can be laundered under high heat
* has two adjustable sizes using snaps - opens in the back
Shirt and observations
* The shirt is soft and would make sense to be the outer soft layer, with the absorbent layer sewn under it.
* Should aim for one size so that all the residents can use it. Consider blouses for women?
* Shirt fabric and garment care will be important - the shirt sample I received is rayon and cold water wash. Reading different care labels for each dignity would be complicated. Suggest we check that the garments we use are pre-shrunk and washable
* For the shirt to function like a bib, thinking the front button-up part gets stitched together to make a "fake front" The back would have to be cut to make the shirt mimic a bib (similar to a "dickie" style fake shirt)
* Snaps - this requires a rivet tool, OR we could use sew on type (these are normally hand sew) OR could look at velcro OR something else?
