If you haven't yet... get (or if you have the skills, then make) your loved one with Alzheimer's or Dementia a fidget quilt. They are also called fidget blankets and there are even fidget aprons, which I find really useful. Below, you will find pictures of one of our sweet clients that has Alzheimer's holding the fidget quilt that I found for her on Etsy! Keep scrolling after you look at the pictures to find 5 reasons to get your loved one a fidget quilt!
At this point, I snapped another picture right when she was telling me thank you and that she thought it was pretty!
She was showing me how nice it would look if she hung it up on the wall. I have to say, it's not a bad idea!!
5 Reasons to get your loved one with Alzheimer's or Dementia a fidget quilt...
1. Brings a smile to their face to receive a gift in the first place.
Nothing to explain here. Making your loved one smile has to be a good thing.
2. Stimulates their senses.
Choose ones with bright colors, patterns, or patches of something they love.
*For example, my sweet client loves her cat, so I got one with cats all over it. Things that people love (or used to love) resonate deeper than the disease can. They may not know why it makes them happy, but they're happy and those are the small silver linings you have to find when you have a loved one with Alzheimer's.
3. Provides comfort and safety.
It provides them something to hold onto and serves as a distraction. When you give a child a blanket, they will sometimes use it as a crutch when they are scared, nervous, or angry. This same relief, comfort, and safety that children feel from having their blanket nearby can be experienced by someone with Alzheimer's or Dementia with their fidget quilt, blanket, or even apron.
4. Enhances fine motor skills & eases "fidgety", hence the name, or agitated behaviors.
On each fidget quilt, there are different features. Some of the most common features on the soft blanket or quilt are zippers, buttons, ribbons, snaps, beads, pockets, shakers that make noise, different textured areas, etc. They can zip the zipper back and forth and shake the shakers. The quilt can give them an outlet when they feel the need to rub something back and forth or squeeze something.
5. Finally, mental stimulation which I encourage should always be worked into their day in some form or another.
Let them tell you about the different things that they see on the quilt. Notice that I said, "let them tell you." Don't throw too many questions at them and begin quizzing them. Often, that can be frustrating because they either can't remember, can remember but maybe can't place the word(s), or they can become confused. Depending on what stage your loved one is at with the disease, little exercises and memory games can be very helpful, so it's always important to gage how they are feeling and be able to adapt if your attempt to do any mental stimulating activity seems to be having an adverse effect from what you intended.
At the end of the day, I know fidget quilts are not going to cure Alzheimer's or Dementia and that's all any of us really want. Alzheimer's and Dementia in any form are terrible diseases. Though, I really believe that we can all play a small part in trying to make positive impacts in their lives. Being that my main love language is gift giving, this was what I thought of. Although, if giving gifts isn't the best option for you, the best thing you can do for anyone going through Alzheimer's or Dementia, is to just stop by and spend some time with your loved ones. They will appreciate it more than you know.
The fidget quilt that I ordered was from Etsy and it was very nice quality. I appreciated the nice packaging and the variety of patterns to choose from. This is the link to the Etsy account's page that I received this quilt from for those of you who are interested in getting one for your loved one... https://www.etsy.com/shop/AlzheimersGifts
Hope everyone has a great day!
Disclaimer: I did receive consent to post the photos of my client by her power of attorney and other loved ones. This photo should not be copied, reproduced, or shared by any other party.
Becca Cutter
Executive Director of HoneyHill HomeCare, LLC
(615) 546-0682