The Items Are Created By The Staff At The Arrowe Park Hospital
Dementia patients often suffer from bouts of agitation, linked to their special condition.
For them, these periods of time are very difficult and getting them involved in activities is a difficult task. The personnel at the Arrowe Park Hospital thought of a clever solution.
Since many of them are passionate knitters, they started making knitted hand muffs they call Twiddlemuffs.
These knitted hand muffs are not the usual kind, though. They have all kinds of buttons, ribbons and attached fabric that makes them more interesting.
Dementia patients can use them in more ways than one. They can use them to keep their hands warm, but also to distract their attention. Because of the more complex design, the muffs capture their attention and their agitation is greatly reduced.
The staff involved in making the Twiddlemuffs is part of a knitting group called Chronicles of Yarnia. The group meets every week at the library attached to the hospital.
Marg Davies, the person in charge of patients with dementia at the Wirral University Teaching Hospital Trust, admits that the project is quite interesting and helpful.
“There can be a lack of stimulation for people with dementia meaning they can get quite distressed. The Twiddlemuffs have a calming effect as they give them something to do with their hands and they also keep their hands warm,” she said in an interview.
With over 2,000 dementia sufferers in the area, it is clear that the project is more than welcome. Everyone is very pleased with the results so far.
Patients are offered the Twiddlemuffs to take home with them, so they can continue to use them. This is helpful for their carers, too, since it can be very difficult to calm down a dementia sufferer during their agitation bouts.
UPDATE: You can find a pattern for Twiddlemuffs here: Knitted Twiddlemuff For Dementia Patients [FREE Knitting Pattern].
Is it possible to get your pattern? My mother died of Alzheimer’s and I’d like to make some of these for a local care center.
Where can I find a pattern for this? I would like to make some dementia patients in Beaver Dam.
You can try contacting the hospital directly. The source article states: “Anyone who would like to get involved in making Twiddlemuffs for dementia patients at the hospital is asked to email wih-tr.communications@nhs.net“
I have two Aunts with dementia right now and one of them really needs one of these. Where can we get a pattern.
The pattern can be found on ravelry.com, a knitting website.
The pattern on Ravelry is not the same pattern that was used for the hand muffs that the Arrowe Park Hospital staff is showing. Ravelry pattern was created by a hospital in the UK.
Bonjour pourriez vous me donner les explications, en français merci.
Hello !
c’est super l’idée que vous avez eu pour les personnes malades, est-il possible d’avoir les explications pour en faire 1, en français.
merci beaucoup
Thanks for the amazing idea! If you need someone more to make that, you can contact me.
Hi I would like to make some for alzheimer people. Is it possible to get your pattern That is différent from the raverly pattern. That would make à lot of people happy.
Thank you
Hi, I would like to realize this knitting hand muffs. Im’ living in France. Where can I find the pattern please. Is this pattern can be translated in french ?
THanks for your answer.
Caroline
I’m knitting a couple of these but they are for Winchester hospital. They do the pack for you to pick up at the (Williamson?) haberdasher 45 Victoria St southampton, with everything in you need apart from the needles. Ypu return to them and they send off to thd hospital.
Thank you for that update – very helpful!
Having worked with elderly dementia/ altzhiemers clients over 30 years I can vouch for this simple idea. It works a treat.Fir anyone really..keeps hands nice n cost too!
I just found out about them in Yours magazine (Aust). Issue # 93 17-30 Aug. The pattern is on p32, and they are asking you to send them to Alzheimer’s Australia.
is there a site in Australia for this i wrote to the dementia site no one othered to reply to me