Fiddle cushions

To raise awareness for Dementia Awareness Month, one Crestwood resident has created fiddle cushions to help residents with dementia.

Dementia studies have found that creating sensory experiences with fiddles, boards or blankets can improve manual dexterity, give people a sense of usefulness, evoke pleasant memories and improve moods, self-esteem and social interaction.

Bet Mitchell’s handmade cushions feature lace threading, zips, reversible sequins and soft feathers to help provide sensory experiences through different textures.

Each one completely unique, the cushions are now being used in the Crestwood Care Home. “Our caregivers have told us that the residents do enjoy using them,” says Bet.

 

 

The idea came to Bet after a Crestwood Nurse visited another village and saw a ‘fiddle board’ on the wall, giving Bet the idea to create cushions for dementia patients to play with while on their lap.

She put out a call for residents to donate “bits and pieces” – buttons, laces, jewellery – and was blown away by the number of items donated. Gathering a group of talented resident sewers, the group held an ‘ideas session’, reviewing the donated goods. A plan was made, and the sewers met at the next session to share what they had created.

We had an awesome time doing this and hope it will continue for years to come!” says Bet.

With donated goods leftover, Bet is looking to carry on making the cushions to donate them to dementia homes outside the village.