Blog
The Log-Roll Technique: A Better Way to Get Dressed After Discharge
Physical therapists use the log-roll every day in skilled nursing facilities. Here's how to do it at home, and why the right clothing makes all the difference.
The log-roll is the single most useful technique a caregiver can learn before bringing a post-discharge patient home. Physical therapists use it every day in skilled nursing facilities. Most families have never heard of it.
What is the log-roll?
The log-roll is a technique for moving and dressing a patient in bed by rolling them from side to side, like a log, rather than sitting them up or having them stand. It keeps the spine in alignment, eliminates hip flexion past 90 degrees, and requires almost no effort from the patient.
For lower-body dressing, the basic sequence is: lay the garment flat and open on the bed, position the patient on top of it, roll them to one side and pull the garment under them, roll them back the other way and pull the garment through, then close. Start to finish: about five minutes, one caregiver, no lifting.
Why standard clothing doesn't work with this technique
The problem with adapting the log-roll to regular clothing is that pants and shorts are designed to be stepped into. They have a waistband that requires the patient to lift their hips, and a construction that makes threading both legs through while lying flat nearly impossible.
Caregivers end up improvising: partly dressing the patient while they're on their side, then trying to pull the garment up while they lift. It's awkward, slow, and creates the exact movements PT is trying to avoid.
What to look for in clothing designed for the log-roll
A garment designed for the log-roll should open completely flat so it can be laid under the patient like a mat. It should close without requiring the patient to lift, shift, or hold a position. And it should look like a normal garment when closed, because patients who feel like they're wearing medical equipment tend to stop wearing it. This kind of clothing designed for in-bed dressing is built around the log-roll specifically.
The Daily Short was designed specifically for this technique, built from the observations I made on the SNF floor over years of watching families struggle with dressing during discharge transitions. It's the tool I always wished existed. See the shorts designed to open completely flat.
Written by the Daily Dons editorial team. Clinically reviewed by Daily Dons' founder, a practicing physical therapist (PT, DPT) with direct skilled nursing facility experience.
Published Apr 3, 2026. Last reviewed Jul 17, 2026. This article is general education, not individual medical advice. Follow the guidance of the wearer's care team. Spotted something that needs correcting? Email support@dailydon.com.
Read our editorial and clinical review policy.