Residents at Riversway Nursing Home, Bristol have jazzed up their mobility aids to help reduce accidents and boost their health and wellbeing.
Vibrant colours and textures have been used to decorate wheelchairs and walking frames as this helps stimulate senses – ideal for those with impairments such as dementia.
The Makeover My Wheels initiative has also taken off across the UK in care home settings to help stop patients falling and to improve the wellbeing of those who use walking frames.
It has most importantly reduced the number of hospital admissions and therefore prevented deaths from broken bones within care homes in the UK.
Jan Wilkins, Registered Manager and Director of Operations at Riversway, said: “This initiative certainly has brought smiles to faces. Wheelchairs and frames have been decorated and the residents are proud of their efforts.
“It is fantastic to see how the Makeover My Wheels and Makeover My Zimmer campaigns have taken off across the country – but it’s even more fantastic to see how the benefits are transforming the way people are.
“The number of accidents has been reduced remarkably and that alone is transformational. Residents at Riversway are given the opportunity to improve their health and wellbeing in any way and this is wonderful for them.
“It improves patient safety and makes people happy which is a win-win situation.”
This fun idea has been named after the popular television series - Pimp my Ride - an American reality show produced by MTV and hosted by rapper Xzibit.
Each episode consists of taking one car in poor condition and restoring it, as well as customising it.
