DEMENTIA sufferers living at a Solihull care home have completed a Tapestry of Senses to mark Dementia Awareness Week.
The residents at The Royal Star & Garter Home came together to create the tapestry, based on a child’s blanket, to represent feeling of warmth, security and nurturing.
Pauline Shaw, director of Care & Service Development, explained: “People who are living with dementia rely upon their feelings and their five senses far more than on reasoning and judgement to give meaning to a world which at times must feel very frightening.”
The blanket represents longevity as the fabric from childhood can withstand years of play with each resident including a motif representing their own feelings.
One man chose to represent a palm tree because on that day he was thinking about holidays he had taken with his wife, while two others people chose homemade fabric and knitted baby clothes which they felt a connection with.
The military histories of many residents was also included in the tapestry, with flags, medals, and badges scattered throughouth.
It is hoped the Tapestry of Sense will become a meaningful symbol of the lives of the people who live and work with dementia at the home.
