Practical Usefulness of Clothes Hangers Hung Over Chair Backrests to Dry Pullover Garments Among Healthy Individuals and Patients with Hemiplegia

Abstract

: Purpose: Hanging washed pullover garments to dry with one hand poses a challenge in daily life for patients who are forced to use their unilateral upper extremity. We hypothesized that a hanger hooked onto the backrest of a chair (backrest hanger) would facilitate easy hanging of pullover garments that need to be dried with one hand; in particular, one can place a pullover garment on the backrest hanger and then pull the hanger along with the garment upward to separate them from the backrest. The present study aimed to demonstrate the practical usefulness of a backrest hanger for patients with hemiplegia. Methods: This study included 20 healthy volunteers and 16 patients with hemiplegia. Participants were requested to hang a sweatshirt to dry with one hand only (the non-dominant hand for healthy volunteers and the non-paralytic hand for patients with hemiplegia) using a backrest hanger, pinch hanger, and a bath towel rack. Patients with hemiplegia performed the task after being instructed regarding how the greatest number of healthy individuals used each tool. Participants were requested to rate their level of ease in hanging the sweatshirts, and the total time required to complete the task was measured. Results: Both healthy volunteers and patients with hemiplegia reported the backrest hanger to be the easiest mode of hanging sweatshirts, and it required significantly shorter amount of time as compared to the other two tools. Discussion: The findings indicate the high practical usefulness of the backrest hanger method.