#fidgetbeads

[baluva]

Fidget Beads

Anyone who knows me knows that my grandmother is my best friend.

A few years ago, she was diagnosed with dementia. Her mannerisms and attention shifted as a result. She now likes to pick at things and gets distracted easily.

So I created some "fidget beads” for her to go through when she’s in need of something to do with her hands.

Every detail was selected specifically for Grammy. Read more after the cut!

The charm because she has loved, and in turn taught us to love, the legend of Kokopelli - and collected figurines of him in his dancing pose.

Green is her favorite color. With dementia, she has shown an affinity for sparkles, so I used faceted beads to give her something to gaze at.

I added beads from her favorite beach on Cape Cod in case she needed the comfort of a beach day!

We brought out the fidget beads for a recent hospital stay. Sometimes, she doesn’t even notice them as she runs her fingers over them, but that’s the point. These beads give her hands something to do. Other times, she likes to trace over the Kokopelli. We remind Grammy of his dancing and flute playing and she smiles.