Cotton batting is much heavier - think of poly as warmth without weight. When you age and your feet hurt, lighter is better.
I don't want to rain on your parade, but that pattern needs some attention after laundry to keep the pinwheels looking decent and nursing home laundries are rough on quilts. Would regular pinwheels with an accent button launder better?
When I visit a friend in a nursing home, it's nice to see all the quilts. How very nice of you to do this.