FORGET Pimp My Ride - a resourceful care home has been customising its residents' zimmer frames.

But the decision to pimp up the zimmer frames of residents at Chalkney House in White Colne is not for vanity reasons.

Instead, the work to individualise the walking frames has a more serious motivation - to stop the residents from falling over.

The home has 46 residents, many of whom have dementia.

By pimping up the frames, it helps the residents easily recognise their own.

It means they are not using other people’s which may be the wrong size.

Care home manager Angela Donlevy came up with the creative idea in a dream.

The idea, known as pimp my zimmer frame, or no frame the same, sees residents decorate their zimmer frames in bright colours.

Mrs Donlevy said: “I was involved in Project Prosper, run by Essex County Council, which focuses on three areas with the elderly - falls, urinary tract infections and pressure sores.

“Because I have a high level of falls in the home it was something I concentrated on.

“As a manager I’m never off the job, I dream about the home half the time.

“This is how it came about. I dreamt about how people with cognitive impairment don’t understand the colour grey.

“They are more likely to look at something colourful so I came up with the idea of decorating them.”

The no frame the same scheme has been an overwhelming success with the number of falls at the home decreasing by 60 per cent since this time last year.

Mrs Donlevy, who has worked at the home for eight years, said: “The residents love it because they are involved in the decoration of something they take ownership of it and recognise their own frame.

“My residents love fun so they were more than happy to get on board with it and participate.

“Someone with dementia can fall because they can’t retain information, now they will remember their frame is there.”