What is a Twiddle Muff?
A Twiddle Muff?
Patients with Dementia and Alzheimer's can twiddle their hands and keep themselves occupied on the wards in hospitals and care homes.
What's so Special?
Twiddle Muffs are an alternative, sensory therapy for Alzheimer's patients that don't involve drugs or medication or any invasive procedures.
How?
Giving a Dementia patient a gift like this also promotes circulation in their hands; meaning they're kept working by increasing brain simulation and flexibility.
Who Makes Twiddle Muffs?
You make Twiddle Muffs! Twiddle Muffs are donated by kind knitters and crocheters who volunteer in their spare time to make and donate these muffs to hospital wards and Dementia charities. These places need more kind, talented people to make more of these magical Twiddle Muffs to help their patients deal with the confusing illnesses they have. Twiddle Muffs are great gifts for family members suffering with Dementia and Alzheimer's and they are proven to help reduce distress.
How do you make one?
You can either knit or crochet. I will attach some links below that you can open up with various patterns.
Knit
Crochet
I can't Knit but I want to help!
If you can't knit or crochet don't panic! Many people donate Twiddle Muffs without any 'buts and bobs' attached. Hospitals are looking for donations of things like zips, clean/new wool, buttons, ribbons, beads etc. Some places would even like volunteers to help attach these bits and bobs onto un-decorated muffs to help save staff time. If you would like to volunteer, contact your local hospitals and dementia charities to offer your time.
Where do I send Donations?
I am sure that if you contact local organisations, you will find lots of people in need of donations.
If you live in Cheshire, I have had a personal request for donations for Ward 21b in Leighton Hospital which is rehabilitation ward and many of the patients are recovering from falls and strokes. A lot of these patients suffer from Dementia and Alzheimer's so donations would be very grateful.
The address for donations is:-
Twiddle Muffs
Flicity Nixon
Ward 21b
Leighton Hospital
Middlewich Road
Crewe
CW1 49J
Dementia Friends at Warington and Halton Hospitals are also in need of donations. You can contact them at forgetmenot@whh@nhs,uk or send donations to the address below:-
Twiddlemuffs
C/O/Corporate Nursing Department
Kendrick Wing
Warrington Hospital
Lovely Lane
Warrington
WA5 1QG
Heart of England at Solihull Hospital would like donations sent to the address below or contact them at angela.barton@heartofengland.nhs.uk
Twiddlemuffs
C/O Angela Barton
DADOT Office (Ward 10 Corridor)
Solihull Hospital
Lode Lane
Solihull
B91 2JL
Finally, the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital would like donations to be sent to the following address:-
Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital
Twiddlemuffs
C/o Patient advice and Liason Service
Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust
Barrack Road,
Exeter
EX25DW
Thank You!
I hope this post inspires you to get knitting or crocheting for a good cause. Let me know what you though of this post and if you find any other organisation in need of donations.
Love Charlie, Xx
Love this idea Charlie, I've gone through nearly 3 years of my nurse training and have never heard about Twiddle Muffs.
ReplyDeleteWhenever I cared for a patient with Dementia or Alzheimer's or even just a patient that is really anxious/agigtated, that there needed to be something invented that they could fiddle with to calm their mind, act almost as a distraction and keep their minds active while they are in what can be a quite an isolating place for some.
I'm definitely going to be promoting this through the SQA role I do at university and even getting my mum involved in making some! I might have to re-learn how to knit and make some myself.
Danielle :) xxx
| Student to Staff Nurse |
Thank you Danielle,
ReplyDeleteThe concept is quite new I believe, and there is more research to be done, but as you say - they are a good invention for busy fingers. If a solution like this can help keep patients calm and keep their distress levels down then it is great! Feel free to share this blog post or share the links from it so others can learn to make them too! Not only are these calming for patients, but the act of knitting or crocheting is relaxing and meditative. I'll do a post about that another time though.
Definitely get back into knitting and share the love!
Love Charlie, Xx
Great post. Apparently the RD and Exeter no longer require Tiwddlemuffs as they have had such a great response from everyone. Thanks
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