These days knitting is making a comeback as a therapeutic pastime but at the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre’s geriatric day hospital, Helen C. has made quilting all the rage.
For nearly nine years Helen has been quilting wall hangings to brighten up the hospital walls and also brighten a patient’s day with a chat and some quilting tips.
Helen says the staff have been fantastic and she really enjoys her volunteer shifts. “Sometimes there is no one that sews or quilts but someone comes over and just talks. I hope it helps the patients as I feel good about it,” she explains.
Helen began sharing her quilting expertise each week after a social worker who had worked with her husband asked if she’s ever considered volunteering. “Since the Royal had helped him I decided I should help them out too,” she says.
Helen recalls one patient who had never quilted before but started learning from Helen during her time in the day hospital, and grew to like it so much she even took her quilting project home to work on it at night.
“Even after she finished she came in a few times to tell me that she was still quilting and it was a great pastime for her,” says Helen. “It made me feel really good that I had helped at least one person.”
There were other patients who hadn’t quilted in years and Helen sparked their interest in taking it up again. Much to Helen’s delight, a few even went on to finish projects they hadn’t worked on for years.
“Sometimes it surprises you that you really feel you’re getting more out of it than you put in!”