Fidget blanket project brings rewards for makers, recipients

When Jan Conant, president of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs Delaware, attended its 2024 international convention, she was inspired by a partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association. Using that inspiration, she chose Forget Me Not - Alzheimer’s and Dementia Awareness as her President’s Project.

People with Alzheimer’s and dementia can experience restless hands and anxiety. Fidget blankets are lap-sized blankets featuring textures, zippers, buttons and ribbons designed to provide sensory stimulation and calm anxiety.

The fidget blankets provided a perfect opportunity for Conant, an Ocean View resident, to engage members from her home club, the Village Improvement Association in Rehoboth Beach, and GFWC clubs all over Delaware. More than 100 blankets created in club or workshop settings have been distributed. Through a pilot program initiated with Easterseals in Sussex County, recipients also include Easterseals facilities in Kent and New Castle counties, the Modern Maturity Center in Dover, Brandywine Seaside Pointe in Rehoboth, and individuals in need.

The forget-me-not is the national flower of the Alzheimer’s Association. Conant grew these flowers from seeds, pressed them, and created resin necklaces for sale to support this self-funded endeavor.

Conant’s early inspiration has proven to be gratifying, especially when she is regularly told by caregivers that a smile comes over the faces of patients when they pick up a blanket, as if for the first time, every time.

GFWC Delaware members are dedicated to improving the lives of those in their communities through volunteerism.