Fiddle muffs are the fidget spinners of nursing homes
Move over fidget spinners, fiddle muffs are the latest craze — in nursing homes at least.
Knitted hand muffs with sewn in fiddle items have become popular among aged care and hospital residents with anxiety and dementia.
Not only do they keep older hands warm but their buttons, ribbons, beads and other quirky adornments keep their owners occupied, stop them from picking and scratching at their skin and can help trigger memories.
"We are finding they are very good for residents suffering with a little bit of anxiety, or scratching their skin, picking themselves, or for residents with dementia," said Heather Robertson, an activities co-ordinator at Bonney Lodge in the Riverland of South Australia.
Just as fidget spinners, initially pitched at children with ADHD and autism, have made their way into schools across the globe, hand-crafted fiddle muffs have started appearing in nursing homes and hospitals everywhere.