Fluffy Tentacles: Crocheted Octopuses Become Hit in Finnish Healthcare

Crocheted octopuses have recently become a fixture in Finnish health care. After first making their way into neonatal care for the development of manual dexterity, the tentacled toys are gradually becoming a staple among caregivers of dementia patients.

The fuzzy toy is being touted as a fortunate solution to a recurring problem: patients with memory loss accidentally pulling out their drips, Finnish national broadcaster Yle reported.

The problem of involuntary self-harm among the patients is particularly acute after surgery, as people may have as many as ten different tubes crisscrossing their arms and bodies after a profound operation. Dementia sufferers in particular are known for unwillingly tearing them out, which creates hazards for themselves and the hospital staff. Additionally, elderly patients suffering from memory loss may pull out their urinary catheters, causing considerable damage to the urinary tract.

Finland's soft solution for both babies and the elderly is crocheted octopi that occupy the patients' hands and prevent them from pulling out tubes and drips that are vital for their health.

According to Kokkola nurse Johanna Kuoppala, the charming little octopi alone have led to a significant drop of 80 percent in the tearing out of tubes.
By her own admission, Kuoppala spends most of her free time crocheting motley octopuses for her patients; the need for such fluffy buddies is acute. She even submitted a request via Facebook for people who love to crochet to help provide the hospital with cute octopuses.

Kuoppala admitted that in the worst cases, staff members are being given permission by the doctor to bind the patient's hands, to prevent the vital tubes from being pulled out. Given the fact that older patients tend to have thinner and more fragile veins, a woolen octopus is a mild yet effective way of avoiding unnecessary damage, as most residents of the Kokkola surgical unit instantly grab a hold of the fluffy tentacles and handle them repeatedly during the day. Afterwards, the cute little helpers become the personal property of the patients.

"One old fisherman imagined he was repairing nets. Another elderly woman was constantly braiding the coils, and we would open them up again whenever we would pass by so she could do it again," Johanna Kuoppala said.