Wolf giving hugs with ‘hugs’
By Suzanne Werre
Editor
Underwood’s Terri Wolf has been working in the elder-care business for more than 20 years as a certified nursing assistant and a hair stylist.
Recently she started a new venture that helps her take care of her treasured long-term-care patients – she has started sewing fidget blankets and weighted blankets.
The fidget and 5-lb. weighted blankets are used by Alzheimer’s and dementia patients to help soothe them when they’re feeling stressed or feeling the need to be busy.
“They’re different fabrics, and they have different textures on them,” said Wolf, regarding the brightly-colored fidget lap blankets. “It’s for when they’re busy, and they need something to keep their hands busy – and they like the different textures.”
Zippers, buttons, fuzzy and soft fabrics, and fabric with nubby rubbery dots are popular items with the patients, who find comfort and soothe themselves by rubbing the different textures, by pulling the zipper up and down, or buttoning and unbuttoning.
The buttons and beads and any other items that are sewn on have to be completely secure, noted Wolf, so she uses a special thread to attach those.
