Healthcare Assistant, Lorraine Kenney, who works on A&E at CRH, has been sewing fidget mats for patients with dementia and has been overwhelmed with donations after putting a call-out on Facebook.

She started after she was looking after a patient with advanced dementia and noticed that he looked like he wanted to do something with his hands. She'd worked in other A&Es previously where fidget mats helped sooth patients with dementia by providing stimulation for their hands.

Lorraine put a call-out on Facebook asking for donations of fidget mats and blankets and had an overwhelming response. The Women’s Institute in Sowerby Bridge responded, saying that they already donated to HRI and have now started to donate to CRH too. And a quilt company in Cragg Vale donated 25 baby blankets which Lorraine has been taking apart and turning into fidget mats. She adds things like buttons, ribbons, zips and pockets to help create different textures for the patients.

Lorraine said: “I wanted to make the mats because I just want to help. I’ve seen the relatives of patients with dementia who look so distressed, and I just wanted to take that pain away from them, in whatever way I could.

“I’m really grateful for the donations from the people in the community. I try to make the fidget mats whenever I can, but they do take quite a while to make, so the support from donations is incredibly valuable.”