Senior Ms. Five Hills makes Peaceful Mats for nursing home residents

By PAMELA GRANT

Cove Leader-Press

“My stitches may not be perfect, but my love is in there,” said Senior Ms. Five Hills Dawn Hale as she patted a Peaceful Mat that was near completion.

Hale, other members of the Copperas Cove Five Hills Royalty, and a handful of volunteers met Saturday at the Copperas Cove Senior Center where they worked on crafting Peaceful Mats from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. They will be collecting mats crafted by volunteers until the end of September.

The Peaceful Mats help reduce stress and anxiety, especially for the elderly, by giving them items sewn onto the mat which stimulate their sense of touch, bringing back memories and giving them a way to keep their hands busy. 

The mats are especially helpful in safely stimulating and soothing those with Alzheimer’s, dementia, autism, ADD, and people recovering from strokes. However, they can be calming and stimulating for anyone. 

Some attachments on the mats included things like fake fur, yarn, ribbons, buttons, zippers, pockets, key chains, and other common household items.

Hale’s plan is to collect enough Peaceful Mats to give one to every resident in both of Copperas Cove’s nursing homes as well as the residents of Stoney Brook of Copperas Cove, an assisted living facility.

Hale’s platform is helping out seniors, but that has been difficult due to many of the COVID-19 restrictions.

“We used to do so much for the nursing homes, and now we can’t,” said Hale. She said that it is important to her to be able to gift each of the residents their own mat. “I want them to feel important. I want them to know that they all matter and that we care.”

Hale said that it’s pretty simple to make the Peaceful Mats and that even though she hasn’t sewn anything in years, she was able to quickly pick up the skills needed to make the mats. She said that everybody can do it. It doesn’t have to be perfect; the most important thing is letting the nursing home residents know that they are loved.

The mats are made to be small enough to fit in a person’s lap so that they don’t take up much room and can be brought with a person even to doctor’s appointments or places that might make them a bit uncomfortable.

Hale said that coming up with creative ideas for the mats is the toughest part. Saturday’s volunteers crafted mats with a variety of color themes, Disney, Christmas, and even a fishing themed mat. 

Five Hills Junior Ambassador Hayley Sawyer made a Belle-themed Peaceful Mat complete with red roses and a ball with Belle printed on it.

Sawyer said that it was her first time ever using a sewing machine and that it was difficult at first, but it got easier as she went along.

“I thought it would be a great idea to help with the Peaceful Mats to help keep [senior’s] hands busy,” said Sawyer. “It’s a very great idea. I support the Peaceful Mats a lot and I hope that others decide that they’re important too.”

To help Hale and the other members of the Five Hills Royalty meet their goal, they are asking members of the community to help out whether they are individuals, members of scout groups, churches, sewing clubs, etc. They are also looking for donations of scraps or items to attach to the mats. Every bit helps, and if they exceed their goal, they may even be able to offer Peaceful Mats to nursing homes in the surrounding area as well. Those interested in learning more are asked to send an email to Fivehillspageant@gmail.com

If you are making your own Peaceful Mat, avoid including blinking lights, swallowing hazards, breakable items, or anything that might be considered dangerous. Keys are also something not to includes, as they can frustrate a resident, as they may want to use them to go home.

Donations are asked to be turned in before October 1.