Knit twiddle mitts for people with dementia

KNITTERS from Wales are this month (September, 2017) being asked to put their skills to the test and knit twiddle mitts for people suffering from dementia.

Abacare is calling for the donation of twiddle mitts to its service users with dementia it cares for to help stimulate their brain, reduce anxiety and promote calm.

Sam Evans, Registered Manager at the award-winning Abacare, which has offices and provides care in Newtown, Bangor, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Ystradgynlais, said: “We’re calling for crafty folk to put their knitting know-how to good use and create twiddle mitts for some of our service users with dementia.

“Twiddle mitts are knitted cuffs or hand warmers, which have different textures and materials attached, such as beads, ribbons and buttons, that people with dementia can hold and ‘twiddle’ to help any restlessness and agitation that they might experience.

“Providing sensory stimulation can also really help a person with dementia’s mood and help to focus their energy.”

There are currently 850,000 people in the UK with dementia and numbers are predicted to rise to one million by the year 2025 and two million by 2051. One in six people over the age of 80 have dementia.

Sam added: “We have put together a knitting pattern that people can find here, however they are free to use their imagination when it comes to adding the different textures and materials.

“Any twiddle mitts that are donated will be distributed among our service users.”

Twiddle mitts can be dropped off or posted to Abacare’s Newtown offices at St David’s House, New Street, Newtown, Powys, SY16 1RB or its Bangor offices at 9 Ash Court, Parc Menai, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 4DF.

Mitts can also be sent to Abacare’s Rhondda Cynon Taf office at Ty Cynon, Navigation Park, Abercynon, Rhondda Cynon Taf, CF45 4SN or its Ystradgynlais office at Unit 300, Ystradgynlais Business Centre, Trawsffordd Road, Ystradgynlais, Powys, SA9 1BS.