CARE home residents have been ‘pimping’ up their zimmers with the help of local school children to reduce confusion and falls.
The idea was thought up by Ward Green Lodge’s activities co-ordinator, Amanda Laycock, who has enlisted the help of 16 pupils from nearby Ward Green primary to unleash their creativity on the old folk’s zimmers.
The project not only aims to help residents be able to identify their own walking frames, reducing the risk of falls, but by decorating them in bright colours it means those who suffer with dementia and struggle to see the colour grey can spot them much easier.
Amanda said: “People with dementia and older people have more falls and research shows projects like these can stop 70 per cent of falls just because the zimmer is colourful and they know it is theirs.
“Also, people with dementia can’t see grey as much so making them brighter makes it easier for them.”
Amanda said the children, from years three to six, have interviewed three residents to learn about their past and these memories have inspired their designs.
Kathleen Slater, 95, is a former ballet and tap dance teacher. Her’s is the first zimmer to be done and the pupils have dressed it up to like a tutu.
Kathleen has advanced dementia but Amanda said whenever the kids come to talk to her it triggers powerful memories and catapults her back to her dancing days.
Amanda added: “When you stand her zimmer to the side it looks like a bar used by ballet dancers and Kathleen will say ‘tuck your thumbs in’ and ‘point your toes’.”
Ward Green primary teacher Joanne Moody said the children are loving working with the residents, getting to know about them but also learning about dementia.
Pupil Tia Hazelhurst, who is nine, said they had learned that bright colours promote memory and Keira Duffy, eight, added: “Because we are going to be pimping their zimmers it’s important we know about them and to care about other people.
“We asked what their favourite memories are and about their past and interests, and used that to help us.
“We thought because Kathleen was a ballet dancer a tutu was a good idea.”
For resident Terry Ingram, who is a former miner, the children are planning to pimp up his zimmer with a colourful pit banner and a miner’s lamp.
Terry, 88, thinks it’s a smashing idea and has enjoyed meeting the kids and telling them about his life working underground.
“I started at Dodworth pit when I was 14 and went to North Gawber pit at 15. I’ve done every job down the pit,” he said.
“When you were working the sweat used to run down your face and you would come out jet black with all the coal dust.”
When Sylvia Hill’s zimmer is finished it will be adorned with flowers and vines.
The 87-year-old used to work as a florist for 40 years and had a shop on Sheffield Road near the junction with Cemetery Road.
Sylvia is also planning to make flower crowns for the children, who will be putting on a performance of song and dance at the school near Easter inspired by their conversations with the residents during the zimmer pimping project.
