Leamington care home residents receive dementia-friendly gifts

A care home in Leamington has received a handful of dementia-friendly gifts.

Residents at Care UK’s Priors House, in Old Milverton Lane, now don twiddle-muffs and twiddle lap blankets, thanks to the ladies at Bromsgrove and Redditch Soroptimists groups.

Knitted by hand, twiddle-muffs are specially designed to provide sensory simulation for people living with dementia featuring various elements and materials, from buttons and strings to pearls and ribbons.

Both the muffs and lap blankets will also help keep residents warm on their daily garden visits in colder months.

Dozens of muffs and blankets were made by the Soroptimists and will be shared with Priors House’s sister care homes in Bromsgrove and Kidderminster.

Francine Summers, home manager at Priors House, said: “Over the past year, we’ve learnt that small acts of kindness often make a world of difference.

“We’re incredibly grateful to have received twiddle-muffs and twiddle lap blanket from friends at our local Soroptimist Group.

"On top of keeping residents’ hands warm, the twiddle-muffs provide sensory stimulation, which can be soothing for people living with dementia and support those who are prone to anxiety and fidgeting.

“Residents have already adopted their twiddle-muffs and blankets, and we’re looking forward to sharing them with our sister homes, Chandler Court and Brook Court. On behalf of everyone at Priors House, I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who helped knitting them.”