Chicago, IL (1888PressRelease)
July 11, 2008 - Administrators at two Chicago-area assisted living facilities say that giving a Twiddle®Muff to an Alzheimer’s patient can be so calming and soothing that it often reduces the need for psychotrophic (anxiety-reducing) medications.
A Twiddle®Muff is a plush muff to be held on the lap with interactive “Twiddle®gadgets,” securely fastened with buttons, to manipulate: beads on a string, a soft bag with marbles inside, a Velcro zipper, and ribbons to stroke. A soft squeeze ball is inside the muff.
Lynn Elker, administrator for The Scottish Home in North Riverside, said she and her staff have used Twiddle®Muffs for nearly a year with five to six patients at a time. “Medications to relieve anxiety or agitation are given PRN (as needed). It is so much nicer to give a resident a Twiddle®Muff instead of a pill.”
Concurs Pat Benda, R.N.C., Scottish Home director of nursing, “We are all concerned about overusing meds, but we want to minimize the agitation and anxiety our residents sometimes exhibit. The Twiddle®Muff is a welcome alternative. Of course, the medication needs of our patients vary from day to day, from person to person and from situation to situation. The muff doesn’t necessarily replace meds, but may allow us to reduce dosage, or give fewer doses a day.”
Corie Larocque, Alzheimer’s coordinator for Brighton Gardens by Sunrise Assisted Living facility in Wheaton, has observed residents interact with Twiddle®Muffs since late 2007.
“We give a Twiddle®Muff to any resident who begins grabbing things, fidgeting with clothes or glasses – someone who is clearly craving some tactile stimulations,” Larocque describes. “It immediately helps calm the resident, directing their focus and energy on one thing. In my experience, the muff does reduce the needs for meds.”
The Twiddle®Muff Concept
The original Twiddle®Muff was created by Margaret Light, a Naperville mother of three, for her own grandmother, Lily. “She was always doing crafts like knitting,” Light recalls. “As she grew older, her vision declined and she simply couldn’t work with her hands. The Twiddle®Muff satisfied her need to keep her hands warm and busy. She enjoyed it so much that it was on her lap constantly.”
Light, a former executive with BP, used money from her severance package to start “BeauLily” in 2006. The original Twiddle®Muff begat Twiddle®Pup and Twiddle®Cat (with the faces and tails of a puppy and kitten) and Twiddle®Sport, aimed at men. All have the same squeeze ball inside and exterior playthings.
When she showed the Twiddle®Muffs to Activities Directors and Occupational Therapists at assisted living facilities, their positive responses convinced Little that her products had a real niche among Alzheimer’s patients, in particular.
Medical Foundation
Experts in geriatrics say that tactile and multisensory stimulation is important for all humans, including the frail elderly.
“The idea of providing stimulation for individuals with dementia, such as with pieces of textured fabric, began more than 40 years ago,” says Dr. Karen Glasser Scandrett, assistant professor of geriatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “In various studies, nursing home staff members report to researchers that a lack of sensory stimulation among residents with dementia was associated with significantly higher levels of agitation or ‘acting out.’ Sometimes the most simple interactions or activities can be very calming.
“I notice that my patients often want to hold a stuffed animal or doll, to have something to do and something to nurture,” Scandrett continues. “Having an item in the hands may stimulate brain function, but more important, is for the patient simply to have something to enjoy just for itself.”
“The first time I saw a Twiddle®Muff, I couldn’t keep my hands off of it,” she laughs.
Clinical Experience
At The Scottish Home, the staff evaluates which residents are mostly likely to enjoy a Twiddle®Muff, and the muff is “matched” to the patient indefinitely.
Linda Goy, director of life enrichment, says the resident’s reaction is almost always delight. “We’ll present the Twiddle®Muff and say, ‘Look at this, it is something just for you!’ The patient will often say, ‘It’s mine!’ and immediately begin discovering all the playthings. So often their hands are cold so they go right inside. The warmth and the squeeze ball also help our many patients with arthritis.”
Goy notes that it is interesting to observe the interactions between the resident and the Twiddle®Muff, resident to resident, and resident to family members.
“The resident will talk to the Twiddle®Muff, particularly if it is the pup or cat. ‘I want to hug you; you are a good boy; you are so cute.’ I’ve also seen it prompt unexpected conversation between residents. One will ask the other ‘May I hold your cat?’”
Larocque of Brighton Gardens observes that a Twiddle®Muff helps propel conversations between family members, particularly when topics are limited or quickly exhausted. At her institution, Twiddle®Muffs aren’t dedicated to particular residents, but passed around as needed. “Families often look for one to give to a relative during a visit,” she said. “A daughter can ask her mother, ‘What’s on your lap? Is that your cat? What is her name?’”
Prompting interaction is just one advantage a Twiddle®Muff has over alternate “lap toys” for stimulation, like a Teddy Bear.
Benda of The Scottish Home says, “The Twiddle®Muff just has such a variety of playthings on it. You can watch the patient continuously explore the beads, the marbles, and particularly the squeeze ball. There is only so much to do with a Teddy Bear and we constantly have to deal with the shoes coming off, the socks coming off, the hat falling on the floor.”
Washable and Durable
Particularly in her institution, where so many residents handle the Twiddle®Muffs, Larocque feels it is imperative that the product stand up to heavy use. “The gadgets can all be unbuttoned from the outside of the muff for laundering,” she said. “I think I’ve washed these muffs 1,000 times and they still look like new.”
Twiddle®Muffs range from $39.95 to $44.95 (plus $7 for shipping and handling) and are available online at www.beaulily.com or by calling 877-428-3321. An order can also be sent with a check to BeauLily LLC, P.O. Box 3249, Lisle, IL, 60532. In Naperville, Twiddle®Muffs are available at Oswald’s Pharmacy, 88 Gartner Road, 630-355-2500.
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