Violetta Riidas

• Soothing textile items for people with dementia
• Tutor: Ruth-Helene Melioranski

Dementia is a severe degenerating incurable syndrome due to which a person feels insecure is confused, anxious and easily prone to depression. A large burden falls on caregivers and loved ones. Since a person cannot be offered conventional psychotherapies as dementia worsens it is necessary to find as many ways as possible to lower his stress level and increase his well-being. My hypothesis was that textile items with different tactile properties are an underutilized option in lowering stress levels in people with dementia, although they would improve people’s well-being and reduce the burden on caregivers.

The aim of the work was to create a collection of soothing textile items that a person with dementia can use both at home and in a care facility. When creating the collection I kept in mind that the items would form an aesthetic whole that fabric residues could be used as materials and that the items would be easy to make by an ordinary person. In the course of my work I also set an additional goal to prepare a so-called comfort item for purely relaxation which until a person with moderate dementia could do on their own in occupational therapy under supervision. It would be using textile capabilities in guided occupational therapy.