I love this idea, but I've never come across a journal article that addresses it. Does anyone know of any research on it?

The beads are strung on a piece of cording and the little plastic ring is threaded onto some ribbon. Everything has been pre-washed before I use it to make sure that it will last through the washings needed at the care home. The little pocket with the tassel closes with velcro, but the bottom right block is a button & buttonhole just to add another option.

You can check out the Alzheimer site I found some info through searches previously.
This isn't an official site, but here's an interesting one I found this morning that might also give you more ideas. http://www.quirkyquilt.com/

This was just posted today in the links section. The link has a lot of great info:

http://www.quiltingboard.com/links-r...s-t246975.html

Quilter's Newletter Magazine did an article on this in this month's issue - it's got a lot of great ideas!

Just today I finished a new "Nesteldecke" or "twiddle-blanket": I made so many till because these blankets are very useful for patients suffering from dementia. One can use any kind of fabric: flannell, plush, frottee, silk, knitted stuff, and so on! I too use panells with animals on because I live in a very little town where most people use to have dogs or cats or hens or even pigs and cows!

[ATTACH=CONFIG]475949[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]475950[/ATTACH]


[ATTACH=CONFIG]475951[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]475953[/ATTACH]

Everything on these blankets must be fastened very tight, I hope you understand what I mean! But there are many possibilities to sew some things to "twiddle on" on such a Nesteldecke!!!

http://asgtucson.org/pdf/apron-handout.pdf

our charity sewing group got a special request to make these for a nursing home. They had one to show us.

Here's another version called touch quilts:
http://www.alzheimer.mb.ca/touchquiltproject/index.html

Our guild made fidget balls stuffed with poly. Same concept but round instead of flat. They seemed well liked by the places that received them.

Please, are there any particular colors to use in one of these blankets? Some to avoid? Things to twiddle that seem to be more successful than others? Twiddle things to avoid like, maybe, buttons? Or, if you use them (like buttons), there are more secure ways to attach them? Maybe dental floss?

I made a very simple, but large-ish, one of these for my aunt: "furry fabric" with a denim fabric frame that had very small plastic nubs on it. She petted it constantly. The nubby denim frame was great until her daughter-in-law ironed it. No more nubs. They melted! Mental note to self: plastic nubs on cotton fabrics, when ironed at high heat, melt. So soon old, ....

Thanks for the help. i am going to mention this thread at our guild meeting.

Pat