The Big Picture
Grooming and dressing involve more than completing a personal care task. The CCA focuses on the whole client by respecting dignity, independence, personal choices, privacy, and safety.
Wig care also requires careful attention. Follow the client’s care plan, protect the wig from damage, and check agency policy before washing it.
Look for Nova Scotia CCA Notes throughout this page for current provincial guidance.
Quick tip: Tap, click, or press Enter on any term with a dotted underline and an ⓘ icon to see its plain-English definition.
Start Here If You’re Overwhelmed
Focus on these core ideas:
- Support the client’s dignity, independence, preferences, privacy, and safety during grooming and dressing.
- Give the client time to do as much as possible independently.
- Adapt care to the client’s choices, strengths, limitations, personality, and care plan.
- Before washing a client’s wig, check agency policy. Some agencies do not allow support workers to wash wigs or hairpieces.
- Remember the dressing rule: affected side first when dressing, unaffected side first when removing clothing.
- Check clients with anti-embolic stockings and bandages frequently for reduced circulation, swelling, or skin breakdown, then report observations to the supervisor.
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Course Notes: Key Ideas You Need to Know
Compassionate Grooming and Dressing
When helping with grooming and dressing, focus on the whole client instead of only finishing the task. Support dignity, independence, individualized care, preferences, privacy, and safety.
Protect the Client’s Dignity and Property
A clean, neat appearance and clean clothing support the client’s dignity and often help the client feel good about their appearance.
Handle personal care items carefully, including:
- hygiene products
- shavers
- hair dryers
- brushes and combs
- perfumes
- other personal care items
Treat clothing carefully too. Avoid damaging zippers, tearing clothing, losing buttons, or causing other damage.
Report: If damage occurs, notify your supervisor.
Support Independence
Encourage the client to do as much as possible independently. Provide help only when the client needs it.
Dressing and undressing are activities of daily living (ADLs). These activities stimulate circulation and increase muscle strength and flexibility. They also increase confidence and self-esteem.
Give the client extra time to dress and undress independently. Patience and understanding matter when a client needs more time.
When the client has self-care devices, encourage their use. Dressing and undressing devices listed for this care include:
- button hooks
- sock pullers
- shoe removers
- pantyhose aids
- trouser pulls
- pant clips
Individualize the Care
Client-centred care should fit the individual client.
Consider the client’s:
- choices
- physical strengths and limitations
- cognitive strengths and limitations
- personality
- care plan
Clients differ in their routines, likes, dislikes, strengths, and limitations. Adjust the care to those supported individual differences.
Respect Grooming and Clothing Preferences
Encourage personal choices whenever possible. Do not impose your own grooming standards on the client.
Ask the client:
- how they want their hair styled
- which hair products they use
- which shaving products they use
- what clothing they want to wear
Protect Privacy
Provide privacy during dressing, undressing, and grooming.
Do not expose the client while helping with dressing or undressing.
Dressing and Undressing Safety
Remember two important rules:
- DAF: Dress the affected side first.
- RUF: Remove clothing from the unaffected side first.
Clients wearing elastic anti-embolic stockings or bandages need frequent checks.
Check for:
- reduced circulation
- swelling
- skin breakdown
Report: Tell the supervisor about your observations. The information helps provide complete care to the client.
Anti-Embolic Stockings
Anti-embolic stockings are close-fitting, circular knitted elastic stockings. They are designed to help prevent swelling in the lower extremities or blood clots by increasing venous return to the heart.
They are also called compression stockings or thromboembolic devices, abbreviated TED.
Nova Scotia CCA Note
Sorrentino’s Canadian Textbook for the Support Worker, 5th Edition teaches the dressing and anti-embolic stocking safety points above. In Nova Scotia, the CCA Scope of Practice and Competency Framework specifically includes supporting clients with dressing and undressing and providing personal care involving compression or anti-embolism garments.
Nova Scotia also requires personal care to follow the client’s care plan and the care setting’s policies and procedures. A CCA must stay within their education and competence, their employer-approved scope of employment , and workplace policies. (novascotia.ca)
Why this matters in Nova Scotia: Do not assume that every related personal-care task is automatically part of your workplace role. Follow the client’s care plan and your employer’s policies and authorization.
Official source: CCA Scope of Practice and Competency Framework
Last checked: September 12, 2026
Why Clients Wear Wigs
Clients wear wigs for different reasons.
Practices differ among Orthodox Jewish married women. Some remove all their hair and wear only a head covering, while others wear a wig to cover their hair.
Other clients wear wigs after hair loss related to:
- natural aging
- chemotherapy treatment for cancer
- illness
- scalp injury
Some people have been bald since birth.
Alopecia means hair loss.
People also wear wigs for warmth, modesty, or body image. Proper care helps keep the wig clean, attractive, and comfortable.
Follow the Care Plan for Wig Care
Follow the wig-maintenance directions in the client’s care plan.
Some wigs cost a great deal to replace, so careful handling matters.
Storing a Wig
After removing the wig:
- Place it on a wig stand or head form to help maintain its shape.
- Smooth straight hair or fluff curls with a wire brush or pick.
- Cover the wig with a hair net that preserves the style without matting .
- Keep the wig away from heat sources such as radiators and vents.
- Keep it away from humid areas such as showers.
- Keep it away from dusty areas.
Check Agency Policy Before Washing a Wig
The client, family, hairdresser, or a representative from a specialty store usually handles wig washing and care.
First: Check your agency’s policy before washing a client’s wig.
Some agencies do not allow support workers to wash a client’s wig or hairpiece.
How Often a Wig Is Washed
Washing frequency depends on how often the client wears the wig and the conditions around its use.
General washing frequencies are:
- every 6 to 8 uses in warm climates
- every 12 to 15 uses in cooler climates
Wash the wig about once a week when the client is especially active, uses heavy hairspray, or lives in an especially humid climate or an area with poor air quality. This schedule removes excess perspiration and dirt.
Washing a Wig
Before washing a client’s wig, check agency policy and follow the maintenance directions in the client’s care plan. If washing is allowed, use these steps in order:
- Gently and completely smooth a straight-hair wig or fluff a curly-hair wig with a wire brush or pick.
- Add one capful of wig shampoo or baby shampoo to a basin of cool water. Never use hot water.
- Gently immerse the wig and soak it for 2 minutes.
- Rinse it well by swishing it in clean, cool water.
- Gently squeeze out excess water. Do not twist the wig.
- For extra shine and softness, apply wig conditioner and leave it on for 5 minutes.
- Rinse the wig again in clean, cool water.
- Gently squeeze out the excess water again without twisting.
Drying a Wig
After washing:
- Tightly finger-squeeze each curl.
- Gently blot straight-hair and curly-hair wigs with a towel to remove excess water.
- Let the wig air-dry on a clean, dry towel or on a wire head form that allows air circulation.
- Keep the wig away from heat sources and direct sunlight.
- Never use a blow-dryer or another heat appliance on a synthetic wig.
- Do not comb, brush, or pick a wet wig unless you are completely restyling it.
- Shake the wig periodically as it dries.
- Wait until the wig is fully dry before styling it normally.
Wearing a Wig
After the client becomes accustomed to the wig, they can wear it during daily activities.
Avoid: Protect synthetic wigs from blasts of heat, including heat released when quickly opening an oven door.
Exam Clue Words
- First: Check agency policy before washing a client’s wig.
- Never: Never use hot water to wash the wig, and never use blow-dryers or other heat appliances on synthetic wigs.
- Avoid: Keep stored wigs away from heat, humidity, and dusty areas. Protect synthetic wigs from sudden blasts of heat while worn.
- Report: Report damage to the client’s property and report observations of reduced circulation, swelling, or skin breakdown to the supervisor.
- Follow the care plan: Follow the client’s wig-maintenance directions and individual care needs.
Fast Review
Use these points for a quick review before a quiz or exam.
- Compassionate grooming and dressing support dignity, independence, individualized care, preferences, privacy, and safety.
- Give clients extra time and help only when needed so they remain as independent as possible.
- Self-care devices for dressing include button hooks, sock pullers, shoe removers, pantyhose aids, trouser pulls, and pant clips.
- Do not impose your grooming standards. Ask clients about their hair, shaving products, and clothing choices.
- Dress the affected side first, DAF. Remove clothing from the unaffected side first, RUF.
- Check clients with anti-embolic stockings and bandages for reduced circulation, swelling, or skin breakdown, then report observations to the supervisor.
- Check agency policy before washing a client’s wig because some agencies do not allow support workers to wash wigs or hairpieces.
- General wig-washing frequency is every 6 to 8 uses in warm climates and every 12 to 15 uses in cooler climates.
- Soak a wig for 2 minutes during washing. Leave conditioner on for 5 minutes when using it for extra shine and softness.
- Use cool water for washing and rinsing. Do not twist the wig.
- Air-dry the wig away from heat and direct sunlight. Never use heat appliances on synthetic wigs.
- Keep synthetic wigs away from sudden blasts of heat while the client wears them.
Final Pep Talk
This topic has several small details, especially the dressing order, washing times, and wig-care restrictions. Review those high-value points in short rounds, and give yourself extra practice with the details that take longer to stick.