QUILTERS CRAFT ‘FIDGET PILLOWS’ FOR ALZHEIMER’S PATIENTS
NORTH PALM BEACH — With bits of ribbon, strips of Velcro and other items found in their sewing drawers, the ladies of the Sand Dollars Quilting Bee gather weekly to create specially designed pillows to distribute to Alzheimer’s patients.
During the past three months, the group has donated nearly 100 “fidget pillows” to churches, senior centers and other facilities that provide dementia-specific services.
The pillows, made of colorful fabrics with different textures, buttons, zippers and beads, help stimulate and engage Alzheimer’s patients in need of a relaxing activity to relieve anxiety or keep their hands busy, Sand Dollars Quilting Bee member Debbie Kinback said.
“They get anxious, and they’re not always connected to what’s going on,” said Kinback, who lives in Juno Beach. “But they can focus on a fabric or a zipper. For those who are more aware but have lost their facility, the snapping, unsnapping and tying reminds their brains they know how to do this.”
The pillows take about two hours to make and are created using various household items such as satin ribbons, string beads, zippers, buckles and lace. One Sand Dollars Quilting Bee member also cuts up foam pool noodles to use for her pillows.
“I asked the girls to bring in stuff from their sewing rooms,” Kinback said. “Every sewer has a drawer or a room filled with junk they meant to use and never did. We also buy online, and then we just started working on them.”
Alzheimer’s Community Care and other organizations that provide dementia-specific services say they are grateful to the group for their support.
Sand Dollars quilters have donated fidget pillows to a handful of Specialized Adult Day Care Centers operated by Alzheimer’s Community Care, a nonprofit organization that serves 4,500 individuals in Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie counties.
“Each patient has their own personality, and the progression of disease can bring out unexpected behaviors that can be a challenge to deal with,” said Tally More, program manager for a Specialize Adult Day Care Center in Palm Beach Gardens. “These pillows have quickly become a go-to tool for our staff to soothe patients during downtime and provide a simple activity to redirect behavior.”
The Sand Dollars Quilting Bee, formed in 1982, meets every Friday at the North Palm Beach Public Library.
In addition to making fidget pillows, members also create quilts, baby blankets, baby bibs and hats for donation to a variety of local organizations such as Head Start, the VA Medical Center, The Seamen’s Church Institute and Quilts for Kids.
“It gives you satisfaction that you’re giving to others and using your skills to make a difference,” said Lois Behrend, a Palm City resident who is an original member of Sand Dollars Quilting Bee.
A handful of Sand Dollars quilters participated in the Palm Beach County Quilters Guild Quilt Show this weekend at the South Florida Fairgrounds.