Textiles for those living with dementia

[florencepoppy]

Hello,

My name is Florence and I am a second year student studying textiles at Norwich University of the Arts. For our current project we are looking into producing textiles for people's wellbeing and I have chosen to look at those living with Dementia.

I've decided to look into nostalgia and reminiscence therapy, creating interior textiles that could be used to trigger memories/promote sociability with family and friends however I'm unsure of how to continue with my research.

Another aspect of our project is based around repeat pattern, which has to be integrated within our design. My initial idea was to create textiles that could be used in a kitchen/dining environment, incorporating classic foods from the past to prompt conversation and sociability around mealtimes as well as encouraging appetite. My concern was with regards to the repeated element, as I am wary that people living with dementia sometimes find that this can be over stimulating or distracting and I don't want to design something that has the opposite affect to my aim.

I would be very grateful if anyone could offer any advice based on personal experience with regards to pattern and if something like this might be helpful to someone living with dementia, as I'm conscious that I want to make my design as effective as possible!

Thank you!

Florence

 

[Amethyst59]

My initial thoughts....if it were curtains/ cushions for a kitchen, it could be useful...but would quickly become just a familiar part of the background. Would it be way out of your remit to make something like an adult version of a cloth book? Then you could incorporate texture too, as I know many PWD (people with dementia) use a ‘twiddle mitt’. These have a different name too, if you are not familiar with it, give it a google. My children just fell about laughing when I gave it the other name, and I guess you are around their age!!
Anyway...a ‘book’ would be tactile, promote discussions and you could use your idea of design to promote memories too.

 

[canary]

That is a brilliant idea @Amethyst59

If @florencepoppy doesnt want to take it up, I think you should do it yourself!

 

[Chemmy]

I have a cloth activity book that has proved extremely popular with the grandchildren from babies to pre-schoolers. Buttons and buttonholes, a zipped pocket, a buckle, a shoelace to thread through eyelets and tie poppers (press studs), velcro. They've loved doing them over and over again, particularly the poppers.

An adult themed version of something like this could be a great present.

 

[nitram]

My initial idea was to create textiles that could be used in a kitchen/dining environment, incorporating classic foods from the past to prompt conversation and sociability around mealtimes as well as encouraging appetite.

My first thought on reading the above was, please don't include tablecloths in this many PWDs will try to eat the cloth instead of the food.
My late wife would have liked to cut pieces of food out of curtains, she could not as all scissors and sharp knives were safely locked away, only solution would be to tear the curtains down.

I think you are better concentrating on cloth books and/or twiddle muffs
https://www.google.fr/search?q=twid...kpHXAhWGthoKHSB3C54Q_AUICigB&biw=1366&bih=637
perhaps you could introduce fabrics that had a interesting feel or made a slight noise when compressed, stimulating senses is important.

 

[florencepoppy]

Hi @Amethyst59, thank you for replying! I agree with @canary that that's a really good idea, in terms of a cloth book. I've actually made one before for a previous project however as I have to integrate a sense of repeat within my work I wonder how this might work with a book?

Additionally, my illustration style is quite childish/naive

and my only concern with making a book would be that it might seem too childish for adults? I don't want to seem like I'm babying people?

Do you think it would be appropriate to make a memory book where perhaps each page had repetitions of familiar objects with different textures, that could perhaps be used in a therapy setting?

Also thank you @nitram for your feedback! My nana had Lewy body Dementia, however I was too young to know her personally so anecdotal advice like this is really helpful to my research

 

[Amethyst59]

Love the illustrations...and naive/simplistic does not equate with being childish. As far as repetition goes...how about stealing the idea of the ‘That’s not my dog/unicorn/dragon etc” books. Each book has a different theme, but on every page, whatever the theme, there is a mouse to find. So could you include a food ‘hidden’ as your repetition?
As for thinking a tactile book could be used only in a therapy setting...sadly many people on this forum could tell you, that our ‘therapy settings’ are our homes.

 

[florencepoppy]

thanks @Amethyst59! I'm not sure that sort of repetition would work for my project though as it has to be a repeat pattern? I find it interesting about how 'therapy settings' are actually most people's homes though as I had never really thought about that. I wonder if maybe I should aim to design in a more custom way, such as developing a pattern that featured items from people's memories and sold as a one off sort of thing? It doesn't necessarily have to be food, but could be images from people's past, items of clothing, flowers etc they associate with different memories? Do you think that might work?

 

[lemonjuice]

Being a keen dressmaker before the onset of dementia, I made a 'textile book' for my mother with pieces/ remnants of her clothes, all cut to the same size and a cover with her name embroidered on the front.I included different textures to describe as we felt it and colours to stimulate her, particularly her favourite ones.

She also had several of those 'Dementia muffs and an apron to wear which had tassles, bells, pom-poms, ribbons etc

I think as others have pointed out they could easily 'become part of the furniture' and their value and this is where the 'repetition comes in', is in using the item as a stimulus for talking.

 

[florencepoppy]

@lemonjuice @Amethyst59 thank you both for your feedback! I've now moved my project on to thinking about how interior textiles can be interactive for the person living with dementia. My thoughts currently are to create a magnetised wall piece based on familiar objects. For example, the person would be able to create their own pattern/piece of art using magnetic objects that fix to the background. Do you think this would be beneficial? I'm loosely basing it on these sorts of products that are available at the minute but my version will be much larger in scale and fixed to the wall.

 

[Amethyst59]

I’m sorry I didn’t get back to your last query...not always the time. I’m on a bit of a rush now, but my first thoughts are....safety. If a PWD is far enough ‘along’ to find an activity like this stilmulating...then would that person be safe to not eat the ‘food’? And secondly , a wall hanging, is by definition always there, and would this provide enough stimulation? Or would it quickly become part of the background. Sorry to not have much positive to say. And would many people have the wall space that they would like to give to this? Could you translate your idea to something smaller. If it can be stored, then the element of surprise will be there each time it is bought out, and it might be more manageable to have something that can be used while sitting. Some PWD have mobility or balance problems.
Sorry, I don’t feel I have helped much.

 

[lemonjuice]

my first thoughts are....safety. If a PWD is far enough ‘along’ to find an activity like this stilmulating...then would that person be safe to not eat the ‘food’? And secondly , a wall hanging, is by definition always there, and would this provide enough stimulation? Or would it quickly become part of the background.

I have to admit both those thoughts were my initial thoughts.
PWD don't always recognise the distinction between real food and pictures etc. and try to eat anything they handle
The idea might be better translated to something non-edible, perhaps flowers (you could add scents to stimulate olfactory memory) or pet animals (possibility of different textures to stimulate touch and 'memory talk about pets).

EDIT I also say choose something other than a wall-hanging. Something small enough to sit on a tray or a fabric book would, in my opinion, be better options.Then it might actually be used , as opposed o fading into the background.

 

[florencepoppy]

@Amethyst59 @lemonjuice Hi again! No worries about the feedback, it's actually really helpful to have honest opinions about these sorts of things because it moves my project along! How about if I used objects that could focus on day to day activities? (something prompted by my tutor) She said about perhaps having objects that looked at things we need to do day to day to function, such as getting ready, so could have prompts such as brushing teeth, drinking, eating, combing hair etc? Also in regards to something becoming part of the background, would it be suitable to have something that maybe rolled away out of sight and then could be unrolled when wanted?

 

[nitram]

How about nostalgia that could prompt conversation?
The 'repeat' could be then and now.

 

[lemonjuice]

Much more practical to have

[ . . to have something that maybe rolled away out of sight and then could be unrolled when wanted?

,
which was exacly my thoughts on suggesting something like a tray or book.

As nitram has also suggested this dea of yours

. . . How about if I used objects that could focus on day to day activities? (something prompted by my tutor) She said about perhaps having objects that looked at things we need to do day to day to function, such as getting ready, so could have prompts such as brushing teeth, drinking, eating, combing hair etc?

would be really good.

 

[Amethyst59]

Definitely would help us. Some days my OH struggles to remember the right order for showering....ge tweet, shampoo...etc. Or one with clothes? Undies first, etc..and then you could incorporate fastenings too.
Sorry...in a rush again!

 

[patilo33]

Just outlining my experience with my mum.
Personalising an item would have brought comfort to my mum. She liked red, she did a lot of cross stitch and had a Ukrainian background. All those could have been incorporated into an item. For mum, it would have been an apron as she always wore one.
Getting to know about the person and personalising things would, i think, be more meaningful.
Hope your studies prove fruitful.

 

[marionq]

My daughter used to work for Timorous Beasties textile designers in Glasgow. I remember they produced toile effect textiles which featured various places, events in the city. They did one for London too.

They are of course very expensive but that needn’t stop you adapting ideas for dementia on suitable textiles. I like the book idea too.

Google TB and you’ll see what I mean.