Physician Assistant student creates quilt to stimulate senses and connect with patients
![Physician Assistant student William McNamara made a quilt to connect with his patients](/sites/default/files/styles/full_width_cropped/public/top_images/new_quilt_photo_0.jpg?itok=Ibtwkf3u)
Physician Assistant students in the Interdisciplinary Geriatric Education Program (IGEP) were asked to research ways to stimulate the different senses in older adults with dementia.
The students gathered a variety of items to connect patients to their senses including wedding pictures, photos of locations in Maine, sea glass, essential oils and a quilt.
William McNamara (Physician Assistant, ’20) arrived at the idea of making a quilt while researching activity blankets and lap quilts.
“I made a small quilt when my daughter was born, so I thought this would be within my capabilities,” McNamara explained. “On one of my weekend trips home, I rummaged through my wife’s fabric boxes and collected a pile of fabrics with many different textures and colors.”
McNamara made a small quilt using soft fleece, rough burlap and bumpy corduroy.
“Running your hand over the surface of it created a whole range of sensations,” he said.
Each of the nine squares on the quilt had a pocket sewn on the outside so that McNamara could fill it will small tactile items to be discovered by his patients.
Part of the IGEP class includes hands-on experience working in the community with older adults, known as Elder Teachers. Using the quilt and the other items, students learned the benefits of sensory stimulation in making a connection with older adults with dementia.
“The process was a great practical exercise in research and with the hands-on application of trying to make a connection with your patients,” McNamara stated. “Interacting with my Elder Teachers was the highlight of my didactic year at UNE.”
![The quilt has nine pockets that can be filled with small items](/sites/default/files/styles/block_image_large/public/additional_images/just_the_quilt.jpg?itok=sDLUkHM5)