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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.”