Keeping Dementia
Patients Busy and Safe
“The goal is to give the patients safe, engaging activities in the hope of decreasing attempts to pull out medical devices or get out of bed,” said Speech Therapy Supervisor Taunia Hetz.
Activities Prevent Cognitive Decline
The program provides activity bags to confused patients. Each bag contains a handmade Busy Buddy pillow, which features many diversions, such as buttons, snaps, Velcro, zippers and laces. The bags are even stuffed with bubble wrap, which can be popped for additional stimulation.“The pillows help prevent further cognitive decline when patients are removed from their regular activity levels,” Hetz said.
Kids Help Sew Pillows
The pillows are designed to be used once, and the hospital expects high demand. But local groups have pitched in to make them. “It usually takes more than five hours to make each pillow,” Hetz said. “We are grateful to the groups who have helped.”Spruce Creek High School students have sewn about 80 Busy Buddy pillows this year using supplies donated by the Halifax Health Auxiliary. “The kids are beginners, so the sewing is not perfect, but they have really enjoyed making them,” teacher Carol Pringle said. “They put their initials on each one to personalize them.”
Besides the pillows, the bags contain plastic tubing and magazines. Patients can tug on the tubing instead of pulling on medical equipment, Hetz said. Likewise, for further cognitive and physical activities, they can be asked to search for specific items in the magazines, or to tear out pages, crumple them and toss them in a nearby trash can, or to fold over evennumbered pages.
“We hope this program will provide visual and motor stimulation,” Hetz said. “In doing so, we hope it will help decrease aggression, restlessness and anxiety for these patients.”
