Family has always been important to Cheryl Williams (nee Lewchuk) of Melville. When she found out that her mother Elsie Lewchuk was suffering from dementia, Williams was determined to find a way to support her.
Williams grew up in Canora, and worked for a local business for several years after high school graduation.
After getting married she lived in Regina for a number of years, until she, her husband Bob and son Bryce came back to Canora in 1999. In 2007 the family moved to Bob’s home town of Melville, where they still reside.
Williams’ mother has been a resident of Gateway Lodge in Canora since April, 2017.
“The signs and progression of the disease have been very slow,” she said. “It would be hard to put a date as to when it started or for how long. Mom had passed the doctor’s testing criteria. But she experienced a serious health issue in 2015 with a fall that broke her left wrist. Then almost a year later she had another fall and broke her right wrist, and we as a family became more concerned.”
Williams said family members visit her mother as often as possible and do what they can to help, including decorating the walls with labelled pictures of family members to give staff and visitors conversation starters.
“She has a television/DVD player in her room so she can watch her favourite shows and we can play DVD’s of her granddaughter Jordelle’s Ukrainian dance concerts,” said Williams. “Dad brings her the Courier and magazines to read.”
She admits that it’s hard to see the deterioration in her mother’s condition and know that it can’t be improved or fixed.
“We’re not always sure of what and why mom says the things she says when we visit,” said Williams. “We also don’t know if she means or uses the right words or names during those discussions. We sometimes think she knows who we are but then there are other visits when we are somebody else. As adults we can come to terms with the change but it’s harder for the grandchildren to see their Baba that way.”
Williams said she considered making a financial donation to support her mother in her battle with dementia, but decided on a more direct approach.
“I was told that monetary donations are gobbled up, to a significant extent, by administration costs and rarely is the full amount donated used entirely for the cause intended,” she explained.
Williams turned to the Internet for ideas and information about dementia. She came across a website for the Alzheimer’s office in Ontario which was providing kits to help those dealing with Alzheimer’s disease, a type of dementia.
“I felt this was the answer. I came across written step-by-step instructions with diagrams of a “twiddle-muff,” recalled Williams. “I don’t knit, never learned how, and when my mother-in-law tried to show me, I never got the hang of it. But I had the knitting needles and some yarn. Armed with YouTube video instruction, I attempted to knit. After several days of heavy concentration to keep the tension right and not slip a stitch, I had knitted a 26-inch long by 6-inch wide strip. I had to find a quicker process and discovered a $30 knitting loom kit. From September to the middle of December of 2018, I was able to complete 18 muffs and have donated them to the Canora Gateway Lodge. In January I completed another seven.”
“I found out I’m much faster and better when using a loom. Besides, I don’t slip a stitch or have to remember whether I’m making a pearl stitch or a knit stitch.”
The twiddle-muffs are knitted sleeves formed into a tube to allow a person’s hands to easily slide in from the ends.
“They provide visual and sensory stimulation, including warmth for cold hands,” explained Williams. “And they distract the patient from scratching at their skin or picking at their clothing. It also is known to calm agitation and keep busy hands busy and the patients occupied.”
The twiddle-muffs can be made from any type of yarn suitable for institutional use and its laundry system, but Williams recommends softer yarn to maximize patient comfort.
“The addition of buttons, pom-poms, ribbons and strings that are secured very well can be placed on the outside and inside to provide things to touch and hold,” she said. “These accessories must be very secure so as not to be a choking hazard and also short in length so that the patient does not have the ability to wrap it around a finger and cut off circulation.”
Each twiddle-muff is one of a kind, made of different colours and combinations of colours, according to the preferences of the patient.
Around the same time that she discovered the twiddle-muffs, Williams came across lap mats.
“They were available to purchase through a wholesale supplier that sold therapy items. I didn’t want to make the purchase online and thought I could re-create and adapt it to my mom’s likings.”
Williams said the lap mats are sensory stimulating oversized placemats, and can be accessorized with features such as buttons, zippers, ribbons and pockets.
“The mat is placed on the person’s lap. It provides an activity, keeping the hands busy. It also keeps the legs warm. It can be used while sitting in an upright position or while lying down.
It helps the brain and body stay active while in a repetitive mode. It calms, distracts, lessens the loneliness and helps pass the time.”
Williams made the mats from materials donated by three Melville sewing enthusiasts.
“They loved the idea and wanted to contribute,” she gratefully recalled. “Fabrics used are cotton, fleece, microfibre, and flannel. The inside material is a batting to provide stiffness. The mats are reversible and have straps for attachment to the hand rails of a chair or wheelchair to prevent slippage.”
From September to the end of January, Williams made a total of 29 mats and donated them to Gateway Lodge.
She encourages others to take up the challenge and get involved.
“Melville District Quilters Guild is excited about adding this project to their group’s activities.”
Williams said making lap mats and twiddle muffs has been well worth the effort.
“It’s a very good feeling. Making and producing these items provides a sense of satisfaction,” she said. “Mom is a giving person who was active in the community. It is part of our heritage. It is a pleasure for me to pay it forward and give back to the elderly.”
Her intention is to provide the Canora Gateway Lodge with the first 62 sleeves and mats, one for each bed.
“After that, I think it would be wonderful to have these items available to new residents at Gateway Lodge as a fundraiser,” Williams concluded.
