Paige Meyer, a young nurse from Australia, designed dignity bibs for her patients to help them feel more comfortable. During her career, one of her tasks involved feeding patients who could no longer do so alone.
Paige put adult bibs on them to keep their clothes clean but never liked traditional bibs much. Since they’re associated with babies, she felt they might humiliate her elderly patients. They never disliked the bibs, but Paige’s intuition told her they deserved better.
Plus, she had firsthand experience with the degrading nature of adult bibs when her grandma’s dementia worsened. Her caretakers supplied her with a bib during mealtimes, which wasn’t easy for family members to witness. After all, no one wants to watch their loved ones suffer.
So, based on her experiences with adults in her care, Paige wanted to create dignity bibs instead. They resemble everyday button-up clothing so patients won’t feel embarrassed at a meal. This aesthetically pleasing clothing provides protection functions like regular vinyl bibs, making meals more enjoyable for patients.
“Dignity bibs are designed to protect clothing from mealtime mishaps while providing dignity by not looking like a bib,” she told The Courier.
“Our dignity bibs are designed and made by a nurse to help ease of use by both consumer and nurse. As a nurse, my aim is to promote dignity to all of my patients and believe this is just one way I can help.”
During the pandemic lockdowns, Paige had much extra time on her hands. When she wasn’t working, she began sewing the dignity bibs after rekindling her passion for the hobby. She discovered a unique pattern for the shirt covering and transformed it into an original design.
Then, she challenged herself to sew fifty per month during 2021. She planned on donating them to the area’s special schools and nursing homes.
Kind Nurse Sews Adult Bibs That Look Like Shirts For Her Patients
In her interview with The Courier, she explained a bit more about her inspiration for taking on this incredible project.
“I’ve just finished my nursing degree, and through nursing and learning to nurse and working as a nurse, it’s all about promoting dignity wherever you can … but the big gap I always found and had trouble with was putting bibs on adults and them losing their sense of dignity as soon as you put a bib on them,” she said.
Thankfully, her new design seems to be a hit with both patients and families alike.
“They use the front panel of a button-up shirt and once placed on top of the clothing, they just look like clothing. It’s less confronting for family as well because it looks like normal clothes.”
You can find a variety of designs for these trendy products online. One of the most well-known patterns comes from an Etsy store called Fabric Greetings. Their downloadable digital patterns cost $7.25 each and have received over 245 rave reviews.
The shop owner described the inspiration behind the design on the item’s main page.
“This bib was designed for a friend who had that same problem. He now shows up to dinner with one of his dignity bibs in hand. One of the nice things about these bibs is that each bib comes with a pocket – sometimes two. Great place to store your hankie or medicine container,” the description states.
How To Make Your Own Dignity Bibs
The owner added that they designed the bib using upcycled men’s shirts. However, you can use other shirt sizes to make them for children or young adults. For example, the bibs can also work for children with special needs. Patients with severe dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and other neurodegenerative disorders can also benefit from the bibs.
The description continued: “If you have a basic knowledge of sewing and a sewing machine that does straight and zig-zag stitching, this bib can be made with no problems. If you have a serger, the process is even easier. When your bib is finished, it will cover the lap of the wearer when he is seated. So it is much longer than most adult bibs. I have made these bibs from denim shirts, regular oxford cloth, and flannel shirts. Whatever you have on hand works.”
The innovation even comes with a piece of velcro to connect the straps behind the wearer’s neck. Throw it in the washing machine with other clothes to clean it after mealtimes.
If you don’t have a sewing machine, no need to worry. You can still buy stylish adult coverings through many retailers online.
Ms. Meyer had already sewed fifteen of these coverings at the start of January 2021. Her mom and younger sister also helped her since they knew the positive impact it would have on patients.
“Watching nan … was a particularly big eye opener for the fact that as a family member it was hard to see. As a nurse, it’s hard not being able to do anything, but as a family member, it’s hard seeing it,” Paige said.
Paige set up a Go Fund Me page to help raise money for the sewing and transport of the bibs. While it’s no longer active, she was able to raise over $1,200 to support her goal.
Generous Nurse Restores Dignity to Patients With Stylish Bibs
Mealtimes shouldn’t be a humiliating or stressful experience for patients who need help with feeding. However, Australian nurse Paige Meyer found that the adult bibs used in most care homes looked childlike. She also watched her grandma with dementia suffer through mealtimes and felt elderly patients deserved more respect.
Wanting to give her patients a more dignified experience, she decided to sew new bibs for them. Instead of having an unsightly vinyl appearance, these resemble button-up denim shirts.
This helps patients look forward to mealtimes and keeps their dignity intact. If a relative needs help feeding, consider buying them a fashionable bib. It’s a small gesture that shows them you care, and they will certainly appreciate it!
