Calling All Crafters: Activity Mats Needed for Hospice Patients

Ohio’s Community Mercy Hospice is looking for crafters to make and donate activity mats for patients. Activity mats are comfort items for patients with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, as they can provide comfort or relief from feelings of anxiety, stress and restlessness.

“Our Care team uses activity mats to help safely soothe patients who may benefit from them,” said Tami Clark, volunteer coordinator at Ohio’s Community Mercy Hospice. “It is wonderful to receive handmade activity mat donations because they are very high quality.”

Activity mats are rectangular cloth mats that can be placed in the laps of patients. They are typically the size of a placemat, and consist of different materials, textures, images and patterns. Add-on items are sewn onto the activity mats to engage and soothe patients who are in constant movement. Frequently used items sewn onto activity mats are zippers, ties, stuffed animals, Velcro and pockets. Crafters often include textured fabric on activity mats, such as corduroy, fringe or lace, for patients to run their hands across. 

The add-on items on activity mats are meant to be pulled apart, tied, zipped, touched and stroked. The repetitive motions of doing these activities can be comforting or soothing to patients who need to keep their hands moving and ease restlessness. Activity mats can be customized to specific patients’ hobbies and interests, like fishing, farming or gardening.

Ohio’s Community Mercy Hospice is accepting activity mats from smoke-free and pet-free environments. Contact the Volunteer Services department at 937.390.9655 for any questions or more information on how to make and donate activity mats.

Ohio’s Community Mercy Hospice, a service of Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton, is a not-for-profit hospice founded in 2004. The community-based organization provides superior care and superior services for patients facing life limiting-illnesses in Clark, Madison, Greene and Champaign counties.