A small community group of sewers from the Coolangatta Seniors, known as the “Fabric Floozies,” have handcrafted over 30 fidget blankets for patients with dementia at The Prince Charles Hospital.
The fidget blankets, which are made with love and embellished with a range of materials, take several hours each to piece together and offer patients some sensory stimulation.
The staff in the hospital’s Cognitive Assessment and Management (CAM) unit said the blankets were warmly welcomed by the patients, particularly those with more advanced cognitive impairment who may find it difficult to interact verbally with others.
In this blog, we share more about the reasons resources like fiddle blankets are beneficial to patients with cognitive impairment. We also give an insight into how the group of sewers from the Gold Coast creates something that has such a positive impact.
Benefits of Fidget Blankets for Patients with Dementia
Khera Kim, Nurse Practitioner, Dementia and Delirium Service at The Prince Charles Hospital, explained that sensory stimulation is one of the known interventions in supporting people living with dementia, as it can assist in reducing symptoms such as agitation, aggression and wandering.
“It can also help improve mood and sense of positive well-being, enhance engagement, support regulation of sleep-wake cycle, support maintenance of motor function and sensory integration,” she said.
“There is a great value for resources like fiddle blankets, fiddle mats and fiddle sleeves – particularly for people with more advanced cognitive impairment who are not able to engage with others in a more mainstream manner.”
Khera recalls one patient who was admitted to the hospital with delirium superimposed on dementia. The 62-year-old was said to be very unsettled when her husband was not with her in the unfamiliar environment at the hospital, becoming restless and trying to pull out her catheters and cannula.
“The staff asked for assistance from our service and the CAM unit for strategies to help support the woman. Aside from the usual non-pharmacologic strategies we have suggested, having an actual fiddle blanket to provide to her and the ward team made a huge difference,” Khera said.
“Not only did the blanket provide warmth and security, which alleviated her anxiety, but it also helped the team engage with her and provided her with some stimulation to keep her engaged instead of being focused on the attached cannula and catheters.”
How the Fabric Floozies piece together the blankets
The Fabric Floozies is a small group with varied backgrounds – some as carers, some working in aged care, pharmacies, as seamstresses, and as office administrators, who joined Coolangatta Seniors as a Needlework/patchwork group during Covid.
Some of the group’s members have had family members with dementia and have seen firsthand the benefits of fidget resources like these. Additionally, those who don’t have a philosophy of giving to the community and find satisfaction in using their skills to help others.
Each blanket they create takes several hours to handcraft. The group uses various materials, including fabrics, assorted items, and wadding inside for softness.
“There are 25 squares that we cut in a production line from donated pieces and our own. Each square has items added, pom poms made, knitted pieces, crochet, all squares are then joined in rows and layered with wadding and a backing,” said Karen from the Fabric Floozies.
“We work together, cutting and gathering all the pieces, and then usually take the pieces home to add the embellishments, as a number of our members use walkers themselves and are unable to bring machines and prefer to sew at their home setup. Some in the group complete the final assembly.
“We try to add as many textures as we can across our fabric collections and items that may spark interest in the receiver, for example, laces, and minky fabric, which is very soothing and reminds them of pets. We try to add items that are gentle to touch.”
Thank you to the Fabric Floozies for your creativity and compassion. It has had a wonderful impact on some of the hospital’s patients.
