Fidget Sensory Quilt for Dementia and Alzheimers Patients

Making Fidget Quilts for Dementia Patients

Have you heard of a Fidget Quilt? These are lap quilts, usually the size of an oversized place-mat. They are most successful with varied textures for patient to feel, and things to open and close to keep hands busy. 

The idea is to provide things for the Alzheimer's or dementia patient to 'fiddle' with, and give them something to do with their hands, and just maybe stimulate their mind. Most of these processes will be a 'memory muscle' type activity. These are things you do without thinking about it because you have done it so many times over the years, that you just know how to do it. 

There are SO many fidget mats out there for inspiration.  I just did a general Google search and found these  awesome results.  I confess, these photos are from a Google search.  These are what we are going to use for our inspiration at our next workshop.

For example:

• tying a shoelace
• zipping a zipper
  
• buttoning a button
• moving a zipper 
• Velcro
• Snaps 
• Tying a bow.
• moving beads on a cord.
  

This is a great place to use small bits of crochet, or pieces of doilies, old zippers, or anything with texture are hanging out in your sewing drawers.

 OK, so I grabbed a variety of images from Mr. Google for different Fidget Mats.   There is no correct way, or incorrect way.  The whole idea is to put a variety of 3-D or sensory type areas for the patient to 'fiddle' with.  

 Think about: 

• Buttons, buttonholes
  
• Display pocket (pocket that is available to insert a photo).
• I Spy game
• Shoelaces
  
• Plastic buckle
• 
  
  Big buttons
• Tassels
• Silicon items
  
• Ribbon
• Felt decor
• silk flowers
• different textures of ribbons and fabrics
• Beads on a Cord
  
• Cording
  
• Pockets 
• Minkee
  

Any 3-dimensional  item else you can think of to keep these absent minds working.  Please make sure that each item is SECURELY attached, so we don't have any loose pieces flying about.

So, I have not made any of these YET.  Our guild has been tasked to make at least 300 of these for an upcoming conference that deals with dementia and other afflictions that elderly people.

Our Chapter is planning a workshop day to make a portion of the 300 mats needed for the conference.  So, at this point, I have grabbed photos from Etsy that shows different fidget mats that set upwards of $50 for those in need.  

We are planning a workshop early next month for out Chapter to work on these.

The QGOTV Guild has a request for 300 fidget mats for the upcoming Coping with Dementia Care conference on October 30 at the Savannah Center. These mats will be given to all attendees.

Would love to see what you create.  Will post photos after our workshop to show what we came up with.