6 Ways to Calm Dementia Fidgeting Hands

Dementia Can Cause Fidgeting Hands

Seniors with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia may show anxiety or agitation through fidgety hands.

Signs include pulling or rubbing at clothes or bedding, rubbing hands together, twisting fingers, wringing hands, and generally keeping hands in motion.

Sensory therapy or fidget toys effectively reduce anxiety, calm nerves, and provide comfort.

These simple touch-based activities with no right or wrong help someone keep their restless hands occupied in safe, soothing ways.

Regardless of the activity or toy, remember that the goal is to engage your older adult in something fun and keep their hands happily occupied.

There’s no right or wrong way to do it, and no specific goal to achieve – whatever feels good to them is perfect.

We share 6 suggestions to help someone with dementia keep their hands busy and feel calm and comforted.

Take Care to Choose Safe Activities

It’s essential to find safe activities. You know your older adult best and can choose what works best for them.

For example, some older adults tend to put things in their mouths. If that’s the case, avoid anything that could become a choking hazard. 

Other seniors may like to tie strings around fingers (or necks!) and restrict circulation. 

If your older adult has any unsafe tendencies, avoid anything that could be dangerous for them.

6 Ways to Help Seniors with Dementia Keep Hands Busy

1. Fidget blankets

• A variety of fidget blankets on Amazon
• A variety of busy blankets from small shops on Etsy
• Twiddle Cat or Twiddle Dog
• A free pattern and tutorial for a DIY fidget apron

Tip: For a quick DIY fidget blanket with minimal sewing, start with a fluffy bath towel or large piece of soft fleece and securely sew on a variety of embellishments. Browse the ready-made ones above to get ideas and inspiration.

2. Sensory toys

• Tangle Jr. fidget toys
• Spiky massage balls
• Jumbo lacing beads sets

3. Help with household chores

These aren't necessarily actual chores but activities that mimic the chores they used to do.

These activities also give a sense of accomplishment and a feeling that they contribute to the household.

• Fold laundry – get some inexpensive (or old) hand towels and ask for help folding them.
• Smooth crumpled tissue paper – get some colorful tissue paper and crumple each piece. Show them the crumpled pieces and ask for help smoothing them out.
• Organize paperwork – gather a stack of unimportant papers and ask for help organizing them
• Play with paperclips – string large paperclips together into a chain or sort paperclips of different sizes into separate groups
• Organize the junk drawer – put the entire drawer on the table and ask your older adult to help you organize the contents
• Shuffle and arrange a deck of cards – let them do whatever they wish with the cards, use nice-looking cards for added visual stimulation, like noble cats, beautiful colors, Looney Tunes, or Charlie Brown

4. Simple knitting or crochet

If your older adult is used to knitting or crocheting, consider getting large gauge knitting needles or crochet hooks and thick, easy-to-handle brightly colored yarn.

They may still enjoy the soothing, repetitive activity and accomplishment of making something, even if they can only create snarled or oddly shaped “scarves.”

5. DIY fidget box

It’s easy to make your own fidget box or basket. Pull out the box when your older adult needs something to do, and throw everything back into the box when they’re done.

Get a container and fill it with inexpensive odds and ends you can find in your house, make quickly, or buy at the dollar store.

Gather things in a variety of colors and textures, like:

• Things with zippers or velcro closures
• Little toys that wind up
• Stress balls for squeezing
• Brightly colored plastic springs (like a Slinky)
• Mini stuffed animals
• A row of buttons sewn firmly onto a ribbon
• A piece of soft fleece or faux fur
• Old keys on a keyring 

6. Keep familiar items at hand

Some seniors are comforted by keeping a familiar item, like a purse or wallet.

Fill an old purse or wallet with a few dollars, coins, play money, or expired or fake credit cards so your older adult can rummage through whenever they like.

Recommended for you:

• Activities for Dementia: 10 Fun, No-Fail Ideas
• 10 Easy Crafts for Seniors with Dementia: Inexpensive DIY Ideas
• 4 Benefits of Activities for Dementia and 5 Ways to Adapt Daily Tasks

By DailyCaring Editorial Team
Image: Easier Living

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About the Author

Connie Chow

Connie was a hands-on caregiver for her grandmother for 20 years. (Grandma made it to 101 years old!) She knows how challenging, overwhelming, and all-consuming caring for an older adult can be. She also knows how important support is — especially in the form of practical solutions, valuable resources, and self-care tips.