Care home residents across Britain are partnering with local schoolchildren to decorate their walkers. The festive makeovers are part of a project called “Pimp My Zimmer,” which aims to reduce falls in care homes. People with dementia sometimes have difficulty recognizing their own frames, so the personalization of devices helps residents remember to use them. One care home even claims the project has reduced falls by 60%! Check it out here:
http://www.bbc.com/news/av/health-42284621/pimp-my-zimmer-project-reduces-falls
‘Why are all walking frames grey?’Angela Donlevy, manager at Chalkney House care home in White Colne, wondered to herself… Shortly after, this project was born and they started seeing results.
“About a year ago I woke up after having a vivid dream about walking frames and I remember asking myself why they were all grey. Suddenly it occurred to me that brighter colours would be more recognisable to people with cognitive impairments such as dementia.” – Angela Donlevy
I always get really excited when I see people “pimp their rides”. In my own research, I’ve found people do this for fun, function (including safety) and fashion. This project brings to light some additional benefits that the personalization of assistive devices can have in certain settings (such as reducing falls for residents with dementia). AWESOME!
Want to see more cool personalized devices? Head over to my “I like your ride!” page to meet some fantastic people and their amazing personalized mobile creations, here.
Keep moving!
The Mobility Project 