Are fidget toys for dementia patients worth the cost?

My Husband was a chewer.
He typically would chew on the neck of his t-shirt if he did not have anything else in his hand. If he had a blanket over his lap that would get pulled up and chewed on, if he was holding a napkin (I use cloth napkins) he would chew that.
I searched for different things for him to chew. I went the route of some dog toys. Soft ones, hard ones, I got baby teething toys soft ones, hard ones, smooth ones, bumpy ones. I finally found a few he liked and would make sure he had one of them in hand all the time.
If he did not have anything he would chew on his fingers.
So...trial and error find something that she likes to chew on.
It might also help if you place a washcloth in her hand. That might keep her from chewing on her fingers.

They make fidget toys for toddlers and babies that are much less expensive. My 3 year old granddaughter has autism and my daughter found some nice ones for her on on Amazon. I just checked it and found a wide variety from $5.99 up to around $20. They make a large variety of teething toys that adults could use too. They don’t have to be made specifically for Alzheimer’s patients. She just needs something to do with her hands and/or mouth. If she formerly crocheted, that may work. Give her some yarn and a large crochet hook. I’ve also seen them respond to a baby doll, dressing and undressing it. They make them for toddlers with zippers, buttons, etc., but you can’t actually undress them—just do the buttons, Velcro, etc. A toy with doors that open and close may keep her busy. Water colors or crayons may keep her busy as well. Plastic kitchen utensils and a bowl may work. I would start with household items first and see what she likes. Others suggested counting, sorting and folding items. I wish you luck!

I used the towels. I would unfold the same group of towels and wash clothes every day. She was so precise it would take her hours to fold them. She felt as though she was helping me and it gave her a feeling of accomplishment. I would compliment her ability and it seemed to please her. Socks work also. I did try other things like sorting buttons, grouping thread by color, rolling a ball of yarn. For my mom, the towels worked best.

Two suggestions:

Chewelry is a product specially designed for humans who like to chew and are doing damage to their hands or other body parts BY chewing. I would never recommend a 'dog toy' to chew on for your wife b/c she's not a dog but a lovely woman who deserves something more appropriate than a 'dog toy'. This Chewelry is designed as a necklace and does not cost more than a dog toy. Check out the link here:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=chewelry+for+adults&crid=RQB5GPGUGEES&sprefix=chewel%2Caps%2C244&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_3_6

I posted a tip the other day about elders with dementia who pick at themselves, and a nail treatment/gel polish that tends to stop that behavior w/o the use of drugs which rarely work anyway. Check out my post here:

https://www.agingcare.com/discussions/skin-picking-with-dementiaalzheimers-how-to-stop-it-without-drugs-479144.htm

I don't know that this SNS nail treatment would work for your wife, but it's an easy and relatively inexpensive thing to try. Along with the Chewelry.

You often have to spend some money in an effort to find relief for your loved one.
Best of luck to you Fred.

My husband fidgeted with power lines like recharge stations. My son brought a large tangle of non working, dead wires, multi plugs, various things to plug into each other. Nothing plugged in to wall but placed on table to look like they were. He spends hours “straightening and coiling” them and they are easy to mess up again.

Try a fidget spinner. They cost a few dollars and are pretty cool. But don't get your hopes up. If nail-biting is her way of expressing anxiety, it might be really hard to get her to stop.

From what I saw at the nursing home I'd say no, they aren't worth it if you don't have a lot of money to spend. The aprons, the realistic pets, the tool boxes and gadget boards all came and went, only holding interest for a day or two when they were a novelty. I think with a little bit of thought and diy ingenuity you can probably come up with similar cheaper options to try. Some other suggestions I've heard to keep the hands and mind occupied are winding balls of yarn, sorting coins or nuts and bolts, folding laundry (just a big basket of assorted towels, socks and washcloths).

My mother liked pleating a blanket in her lap or the bottom of her blouse hours on end. This wasn't planned for her, she just did it. Put a light blanket over her lap and see what happens. My SIL likes a floppy stuffed animal that she can stroke.

I know there's a "fidget" apron that has many different options for keeping the hands busy, from zipping and unzipping things, big buttons to work, Velcro strips and many other things that I have personally seen work well with someone with dementia. And the fact that it's a an apron means that you can tie it around your loved ones waste and it will stay put while they futz with it, unlike some "fidget" blankets that can easily fall to the floor and you have to keep picking up.
I would definitely recommend the fidget apron.

My mother did very well with a baby doll. It was very comforting and kept her busy all day. Ashton-Drake.com has dolls specifically designed for Dementia patients. It was a Godsend for my Mom. Get one that looks like her own children. Good luck.