Knit twiddle mitts for people with dementia
KNITTERS from Rhondda Cynon Taf are this month (September, 2017) being asked to put their skills to the test and knit twiddle mitts for people with 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.
Sarah Williams, Registered Manager at the award-winning Abacare, which has offices and provides care in the area, 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.
Sarah added: “We have put together a knitting pattern on our website at www.abacare.org.uk that people can download, 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 offices at Ty Cynon, Navigation Park, Abercynon, Rhondda Cynon Taf, CF45 4SN.
Abacare operates a professional Care Management Team that is committed to providing high quality care to individuals in their own homes.
The large team of trained, specialist, care workers provide positive based outcomes and person centred care to people throughout Wales.
Abacare’s core values, instilled into every staff member, include ‘make us proud’, ‘focus on our service users’ wellbeing’, ‘communicate, listen well and speak with respect’, ‘be passionate, honest, caring and considerate’, ‘recruit and develop the very best’ and ‘lead by example’.
It believes it offers inspiring work for inspirational people.
It is a member of the United Kingdom Homecare Association, Ceretas (formerly British Association of Domiciliary Care), The National Homecare Council and The Information Commissioners Office (Data Protection). It is also registered with the Care Social Services Inspectorate Wales.
Abacare has been awarded an Investors in People accolade for its staff training and development for the fourth year running.
Investors in People is a national standard, which provides a framework that helps organisations to improve performance and realise objectives through the effective management and development of their staff.
It was also named Britain’s ‘Most Outstanding Care Agency’ at the UK Over 50s Housing Awards in 2014, 2015 and 2016.
For more information about Abacare, please call 01443 742645 or visit www.abacare.org.uk. Alternatively, please follow the company on Facebook at http://on.fb.me/Yn4zmS or on Twitter by visiting www.twitter.com/visitabacare.
