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.
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.
"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.