Is there any such thing as adult manipulatives for dementia patients?

[LuvOrlando]

I know there are tons of manipulatives for children with developmental issues so I was thinking maybe there is stuff that works for adults?

I know an elderly person struggling with dementia who is bothering their skin so I was wondering if anyone on here has had any success with anything at all, any experience with this sort of thing? I am not close enough to talk to the Dr myself but could send gifts.

 

[lanejudy]

Probably a lot of those same items used by children could also be used by an adult. It sounds like you simply want something to keep their hands busy -- a fidgit spinner or string of beads or anything else they can play with in their hands (might just be spinning/rolling a pencil).

The trick may be keeping them interested in the item. I know my dad would just randomly abandon an item somewhere, so you might need to have many lying around the home or constantly hand it back to the person.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Probably a lot of those same items used by children could also be used by an adult. It sounds like you simply want something to keep their hands busy -- a fidgit spinner or string of beads or anything else they can play with in their hands (might just be spinning/rolling a pencil).

The trick may be keeping them interested in the item. I know my dad would just randomly abandon an item somewhere, so you might need to have many lying around the home or constantly hand it back to the person.

Thanks!

OK, I will just try a collection of things. The person is not moving much these days.

 

[jaybirdsmommy]

There are a lot of ideas for fidget boards for dementia patients on pinterest. Things with zippers, shoelaces, etc. Maybe search there for some ideas.

Is there something in particular they are drawn to? My Grandmother loved to fold things. When she would get agitated, a napkin or a piece of cloth would calm her down. She'd spend hours folding it and unfolding it.

 

[QueenIsabella]

A lot of times, nursing homes give a woman with dementia a baby doll.

A rosary could work, if she's Catholic.

Beyond that, I would look at fidget things for kids--they make pop-its in various shapes and colors. Not as annoying as the spinning type, larger and easy to find if put down. And made of silicone, so nobody can get hurt by them.

 

[NotUrsula]

A sewing group I volunteer with makes these. We make little lap blankets about 24" x 24" in high contrast colorways that have tons of fasteners on them; multiple zippers, big button flaps, giant hooks/eyes, velcro tabs, etc., and they are cloth, so folding is another thing they can do. The projects are donated to care homes.

It's important for the elderly to have the manipulatives be easy to grasp and easy to see, so a lot of things made for kids are not really suitable, except the ones designed for toddlers.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

My grandma loved her teddy bear later in life. It brought her great comfort as sadly her dementia progressed. God Bless you LuvOrlando for wanting to make a kind difference. Thank you!

 

[SC Minnie]

A crochet group locally makes 'twiddle muffs' for a memory care facility. THey are all different and have random items sewn on the wrist bands.

 

[JaxDad]

My daughter breaks apart and rebuilds Lego sets when she’s feeling a little anxious.

 

[rndmr2]

We have a lady at the nursing home where I work that has lots of things like that. Some of those silicone things with the bubbles that you can "pop" and then turn over and pop again. Also little dolls 3 or 4 inches (like a very miniature barbie) stuffed animals, etc.

Some of them have baby dolls. We have tables in the one hallway with puzzles. and then another table that has boxes of cards (Those all occasion box cards) that they like to look through. One lady in particular loves to sit there and go through them and pick some out.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Thank you Rndmr2 for the kind care you and your co-workers give to many. How blessed your facility is to have all of you.

 

[LuvOrlando]

So many great ideas, I will be looking into every single one of them. Thank you all, now there is a place to start!

A crochet group locally makes 'twiddle muffs' for a memory care facility. THey are all different and have random items sewn on the wrist bands.

View attachment 787303

These are so very pretty, can you PM me where to get in touch. She lost her husband a few years back and hasn't recovered so maybe the bright uplifting colors might help her mood.

My grandma loved her teddy bear later in life. It brought her great comfort as sadly her dementia progressed. God Bless you LuvOrlando for wanting to make a kind difference. Thank you!

Sparked a thought, I was thinking of the Teddy Bear she had made of her Moms old fur coat ages ago. I wonder if it would be a big comfort to her now since I understand people regress with their memories, not sure where to look for it but I can try.

This is such a tricky part of life to navigate, anything mental health related with deterioration is so very complicated not just for the person but everyone around them has different degrees of understanding, different levels of empathy and a mash up of so many random far flung feelings. It's all just so messy with no clear lines anymore.

 

[DodgerGirl]

Hello LuvOrlando,
You might want to go to Amazon and search for Aurora World Stuffed Animals "not Princess Aurora from Sleeping Beauty" but Aurora World makes the best stuffed animals in the world and I have several Aurora World stuffed animals and I have been impressed with the amazing quality of them. One Aurora World stuffed animal you should try to get for your elderly friend is a cute dragon plushie that is part of the Aurora World Legendary Friends series that's named Ohen Gentleheart and he's the most adorable stuffed dragon I've seen and Ohen Gentleheart is very soft and easy for your friend to hug and cuddle with. And I have that same dragon too and it's my favorite stuffed dragon too. Also take a look at Wild Republic stuffed animals too which I also love and they are also good quality stuffed animals too that your elderly friend will love,
It's wonderful that you are so caring about your friend and hope my advice helps you and if you find that stuffed dragon let me know how your friend likes it
Dodger

 

[SC Minnie]

So many great ideas, I will be looking into every single one of them. Thank you all, now there is a place to start!



These are so very pretty, can you PM me where to get in touch. She lost her husband a few years back and hasn't recovered so maybe the bright uplifting colors might help her mood.



Sparked a thought, I was thinking of the Teddy Bear she had made of her Moms old fur coat ages ago. I wonder if it would be a big comfort to her now since I understand people regress with their memories, not sure where to look for it but I can try.

This is such a tricky part of life to navigate, anything mental health related with deterioration is so very complicated not just for the person but everyone around them has different degrees of understanding, different levels of empathy and a mash up of so many random far flung feelings. It's all just so messy with no clear lines anymore.

The pic I attached above was just an example. If you know someone local to you that knits or crochets they could make one. I did a search on Etsy for 'twiddle muffs' and they are sold there. I see they also have the fidget blankets.

 

[Owlpost23]

I've heard of nursing homes putting out a big basket of baby clothes on a table and the ladies fold them and talk about their children.Something like that might work.

 

[Rogue1677x]

My grandfather had dementia brought on by a brain tumor. Something he would do a lot was rub a small stone between his fingers throughout the day. When he had moments of lucidity he didn't know why he had that stone, but picked it up at random times and would rub it.

 

[LuvOrlando]

So I stopped by and mentioned the teddy bear and her eyes lit up.

Interestingly, when my cousin passed away his wife took great comfort in picking out beautiful barbie dolls and all the clothes she couldn't afford when she was a kid even got ther sports car and dream house but hid it from her kid because she thought he'd judge her.

Maybe there is a deep comfort in the items we all enjoyed as kids than can be tapped when we are in a scary situation.

Interesting that we start out little girls wanting dolls and end up the same way, it is sort of sweet.

 

[rndmr2]

I've heard of nursing homes putting out a big basket of baby clothes on a table and the ladies fold them and talk about their children. Something like that might work.

Yes, this reminded me sometimes we will give someone a pile of towels or washcloths to fold.

One Lady we used to give her 2 basins of water, one soapy and one clear and a towel and she would wash a few dishes. We used to catch her at the sink in the sunroom trying to wash the dishes but she was a huge major fall risk and we were afraid to let her stand that long so we would sit her at the table.

It makes sense, most of these ladies from the older generation spent their lives as housewives/moms and they took care of their family, cooked, cleaned, etc. So these tasks give them comfort and purpose.

 

[melk]

When I was caring for my mom who had dementia I would bring out a basket of washcloths and hand towels and she would enjoy folding them. I would then thank her, take them out of the room, mess them up and then bring it back to her to start again. She would fold those things over and over! I think it gave her a sense of purpose and she never got bored doing it.

 

[DodgerGirl]

Hello LuvOrlando,
Did you check out the stuffed animals I told you about yesterday? You might be able to see if Amazon has a sale on one of them and try to buy it for your elderly friend
Dodger