Fidget Blanket Project

Rooted in Love, Blossoming in Care, Support, and Joy

By Becky Zinn-Caulfield, MSW, LICSW

Assistant Director & Caregiver Specialist at the Center

Over the past year, the Center purchased a couple of “fidget” items to use in our Second Saturday respite programming for people living with dementia and other cognitive change. One of these items is a sensory blanket featuring a variety of colors, textures, and attached items designed to keep busy hands occupied and stimulated. When I saw the blanket, I immediately thought of my own mother, who was a great seamstress but due to her own recent diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, can no longer sew. However, I knew she had many items she could donate to a similar project. That sparked the idea of inviting volunteers to create fidget blankets that could be used in both our on-site respite program and our memory companion services, as well as potentially shared with caregiver clients to use with their care recipients.

From there, the idea blossomed.

The Center put out a call for fabric, notions, fidget items, and volunteers willing to make the blankets—and the community responded enthusiastically. The project is now well underway, with at least 10 people sewing blankets and an anticipated total of 35 or more completed blankets this month. We have already received wonderful feedback from volunteers, who tell us how much fun they are having creating these unique and meaningful items.

Our goal is to have the blankets ready to share with those who may benefit from them at our November Second Saturday Caregiver Support Groups, held during National Family Caregivers Month.

We have plenty of donated supplies remaining, so there is a good chance the project will continue with another round of fidget blankets next spring. It has been wonderful to see the community come together in such a creative and heartfelt way to support the people and families we serve.