Community Heroes: Why we're passionate about making 'fidget blankets' to help dementia patients

I’ve always envisioned collaborating with my sister on something that has a meaningful impact and genuinely helps people.

However, I hadn't yet discovered the idea until last year when I met Tina Ng, founder of Rosemadame Craftwork, through our church community, and learned about her dedicated work for dementia patients.

Fuelled by her passion for handicrafts, Tina creates fidget blankets to bring comfort and support to those with dementia.

Fidget blankets are therapeutic quilts with different sensory elements and activity features attached or sewn on them. 

They are designed to help people living with dementia enhance their concentration, alleviate stress, anxiety and boredom, and reinforce memory and fine motor skills. 

Research has also found that these quilts help to reduce the levels of distress that caregivers experience. 

Dementia is a condition where brain cells die at a faster rate than normal, causing a decline in mental abilities and leading to failing memory, intellectual function and personality changes.

Seeing the seniors in our neighbourhood, as well as some relatives, undergo the difficulties related to ageing and dementia deeply saddened us.   

Meeting Tina was like a burst of fireworks in my mind. I was filled with excitement and enthusiasm as I realised the potential for us to embark on a journey together, enriching the lives of people living with dementia.       

We launched as a ground-up initiative in mid-2023 and run it as a passion project on a voluntary basis.

My sister and I would handle our marketing efforts, while Tina focused on crafting the fidget blankets. 

Our aim was to raise awareness about dementia, particularly focusing on fidget blankets, an engagement resource not commonly known in Singapore.    

Tina, my family, some friends and I came together to enhance our community outreach endeavours.

Later, after completing my contract in my previous company, I decided to give full support to the project for six months.    

In the last quarter of 2023, our participation in Season 5 of the National Youth Council’s Youth Action Challenge provided a pivotal platform to advance our cause, given its timely focus on the topic of dementia.      

The four-month programme gives young people the opportunity to come up with ideas to benefit the community, with the help of mentors and advisers.

It inspired us to bridge the gap between young persons and the dementia community, such as by organising fidget-blanket workshops for the youth.  

We are immensely thankful to have been part of this programme.

During the six months, I also spent time building partnerships and collaborating with various organisations, from schools and government agencies to dementia-focused institutions and hospitals.

Concurrently, we concentrated on programme development, marketing, and expanding our reach.

Tina, our sole artisan, focused on designing and curating the fidget blankets, tailored for mild to advanced stages of dementia.

She transforms freshly cut fabrics into vibrant, colourful tools for engagement. 

Considering the meticulous and delicate craftsmanship involved in sewing each fidget blanket and activity feature by hand, one piece can take about three hours to complete.

To date, we have also donated close to 100 blankets as samples to various organisations, including Ang Mo Kio-Thye Hua Kwan Hospital, Dementia Singapore, Singapore Anglican Community Services and Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

Our journey was not without hitches.

One of the key hurdles we faced in starting a ground-up initiative within the social service space was the financial constraints that many organisations encounter, which limited our ability to provide our services. 

Despite our efforts to help organisations by finding donors willing to sponsor a bulk purchase of fidget blankets, these attempts were unsuccessful.       

One nursing home that saw the value in fidget blankets wanted to acquire more but due to budget constraints, was unable to do so.

We took the initiative to seek out donors on its behalf but unfortunately, these efforts did not come to fruition.

Nevertheless, the impact of our initiative on the lives of seniors with dementia has been undeniably gratifying.

Witnessing their engagement with the fidget blankets — whether through fine motor skill practice or sensory stimulation — fills us with joy.      

One activity on the blanket for people with mild dementia involves tying a shoelace.

Watching them focus intently and persistently on tying the shoelace, even if slowly, and completing a shoelace knot is truly a cause for celebration.

We have also observed how the fidget blanket calms individuals with advanced dementia, soothing them until they fall asleep with the blanket on their lap.

For those considering embarking on a ground-up initiative, I urge you to take that leap of faith. Just do it.

I’d like to encourage you with this quote: “It is better to try and fail than not to try at all.” 

Through the experience, you will take away many valuable learnings, skills and opportunities you never believed you would experience.

I highly encourage participating in networking events, too, because you may unlock invaluable insights and opportunities that can significantly support your mission.

ABOUT THE WRITER:

Lydia Han, 24, is a human resources professional who is passionate in making a positive impact in the lives of individuals, organisations, and communities. In her leisure time, she enjoys exploring new cafes with her friends and catching up over a good cup of coffee.

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