Fidget and Anxiety Reducing Toys

upstateAnn · September 22

My sweet DH is a firm stage six with all the symptoms that go with AZ progression. A friend suggested buying some “toys” designed to help people with AZ reduce anxiety. Has anyone used these to calm thei LO? I saw some sites, but would like feedback from those who have used these, with the DL.

Chance Rider · September 22

My only experience was with my father. He had dementia but never diagnosed specifically with ALZ. When he was hospitalized we gave him some pvc fittings to fiddle with. He had been a plumbing contractor. Putting the fittings together in different configurations was enough to keep him occupied and less restless.

harshedbuzz · September 22

@upstateAnn

You may have materials for activities around the house now. If he's not hyperoral, sorting coins or nuts/screws presented as helping might be something to try. Folding hand towels or mating socks is another option.

HB

trottingalong · September 22

MY DH was a hardwood flooring contractor from the old days of nail down floors with beautiful borders. A true craftsman, passed down from his dad. He could make anything from wood, metal to you name it. Now his hands are idol. He can’t remember how to do much of anything and everything confuses him. Now you could sit down and have a conversation with him and not realize all that is going on. For him a gadget would bring frustration. Each person has there differences in this journey. Doesn’t hurt to try something, you may be pleasantly surprised. Good luck.

Kat63 · September 22

My DH is also stage 6 and needed things to occupy his time. I was a little skeptical if anything would work but thought it was worth a try. I bought a dozen bright colored towels from Amazon and put them in baskets I have just inside our entryway. At first he remarked as “what are these?” But after a couple of weeks he started folding and refolding them everyday. It takes up at least a good hour every afternoon. He is very particular about how he folds them. It worked so I recently bought a stuffed dog that has fidget items. He pets the dog, talks to it and is just starting to mess with the Velcro, etc on the dog. It’s so sweet how he talks to the dog and the big smile he has while doing so. So both things have worked better than I expected.

upstateAnn · September 22

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/254206#Comment_254206

what is the dog product brand?

Kat63 · September 22

The fidget dog brand is Chiaochutty, and I bought it at Amazon also. If you search fidget dog for dementia you should find it.

RetiredTeacher · September 22

I am also interested in the fidget dog info.

tigersmom · September 22

When my DH was in the hospital, somebody put a dog-shaped fidget DELETED from Odoxia in his bed. You could put both hands inside him, and there were attached toys to play with. I thought he was cute, but my husband pretty much ignored him. Same thing with the squeeze balls they brought in. YMMV. Maybe if it had been a cat…

Kat63 · September 22

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/254226#Comment_254226

It took my husband about two weeks to start folding the towels and took a week or so before he paid attention to the dog. So time and patience has worked for us. I didn’t just give them to him and expect him to react. When he asked about the towels I told him I was keeping them in the baskets now. And when I got the dog, I just sat it by the baskets and never mentioned it, just gave it some time. In my case that is what has worked.

JJ401 · September 22

I take DH (stage 4) to visit his sister (stage 6) in the nursing home about once a month. I try to find something small for him to bring to give her. This month he gave her a small orange teddy bear with a football print on its body. She loved it and fidgeted with it while we were there. She has a birthday next month and I've been trying to think of what he could get her. I think this will be perfect.

(I found it on Amazon by putting Chiaochutty in the search box and it came right up.)

Fidget and Anxiety Reducing Toys

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