Going all out for Alzheimer’s
Part of living with Alzheimer’s is feeling agitated and anxious, and being unable to rid yourself of that agitation and stress.
Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behaviour.
The most common early symptom of Alzheimer’s is difficulty remembering newly learned information because Alzheimer’s changes typically begin in the part of the brain that affects learning.
As Alzheimer’s advances through the brain, it leads to increasingly severe symptoms, including disorientation, mood and behaviour changes; deepening confusion about events, time and place; unfounded suspicions about family, friends and professional caregivers; more serious memory loss and behaviour changes; and difficulty speaking, swallowing and walking.
Part of living with Alzheimer’s is feeling agitated and anxious, and being unable to rid yourself of that agitation and stress.
This is the reason why many with Alzheimer’s can sometimes become violent – because they have no outlet for these emotions.
Another reason why they can become violent is because of boredom and not being able to express their need for stimulation.
It’s important to remember that people with dementia have the same needs as everyone else; they just struggle to express them.
Just like children are calmed and soothed by their favourite blanket, people living with Alzheimer’s can be soothed with a fidget blanket.
This is because, during the later stages of Alzheimer’s, many with the condition seem to fidget constantly.
A fidget blanket can help with both these things – it can calm and reduce anxiety, as well as providing hours of stimulation.
Studies in care homes have shown that fidget blankets that have embellishments such as zippers, loops, buttons and laces are beneficial because they can be constantly played with.
The ‘Goue Hart Vriendinne’ (Golden Heart Friends) heard ‘Solidariteit Helpende Hand’s’ plea for more of these fidget blankets and promptly sprang to the rescue – quilting 20 new fidget blankets in record time.
The donation of these 20 new blankets to ‘Solidariteit Helpende Hand’ took place at ‘Ons Winkel’ (‘Ons Winkel’ means ‘Our Shop’ – it is a charity shop that uses its profits to fund bursaries for needy students, as well as community welfare projects) on May 15 at 13:30.
The ‘Goue Hart Vriendinne’ is a knitting group that meets weekly on Wednesdays at Waste Me Not in Stevenson Street.
If you would be interested in joining this knitting group and perhaps making a fidget blanket of your own, you can contact Wilma van Zyl on 083 683 0402.
