CMM meets NOGI
CMM: Could you tell me about your idea?
Zuza Rosińska: My idea in a nutshell is a reimagined mobility aid. You’ve probably seen a rollator – especially if you’ve watched the film Up. There is a man in that film with a Zimmer frame, and a rollator is that but with wheels, brakes and a seat. It helps people with balance, and you can also take rest breaks on it.
In theory, a rollator is great. However, I’ve found that most current rollators are not comfortable, especially not for long-term use. They are often a distress purchase rather than an aspirational one. People buy them because they’ve had a fall or they’re worried about their mum or grandma.
My aim is to create a rollator that you want to have – something you feel comfortable using and taking out for longer periods of time. In my final year project, I redesigned the entire frame of a rollator to fundamentally change the user’s interaction with it, making it more comfortable.
I want to inspire people to use mobility aids earlier because they can really help. If you start using them earlier, they can slow down signs of decline. Prevention is always better than cure. That’s the goal.
CMM: What key challenges are you hoping your product will help to overcome?
ZR: The first challenge that comes to mind is stigma. Even when people are older and facing physical limitations, they don’t want to be seen that way, so the challenge is to change that with products that are more aspirational.
I strongly believe in human-centred design and the social model of disability. It’s not that people are ‘the problem’ – it’s that the world around them can disable participation, so it’s about designing mobility aids that are just part of life, not something that feels disabling.
CMM: What feedback have you received?
ZR: The project started with feedback from a woman who spoke about everything she disliked about rollators. That’s what sparked the idea. I’ve also spoken to elderly users, as well as a lecturer at my university who uses a similar mobility aid and shared his lived experience.
The biggest piece of feedback is that people want practicality, but they also want something that feels good to use. A lot of medical-looking products are just black or grey frames, and they immediately signal ‘medical device’, which can make people feel singled out in a negative way.
One woman I spoke to, who uses a wheelchair, said that even in hospital settings, people sometimes speak about her rather than to her directly. She still feels like a person but the chair changes how others treat her. That really stayed with me. So, it’s about challenging that – making mobility aids feel normal, even positive, and recognising that people who use them are just people.
CMM: How will you market your product?
ZR: That’s a good question. I’m still working on that. Because my design directly challenges common problems with rollators, I hope existing users will respond positively when they see the differences and think, ‘That’s interesting.’
I’d like to place it in real-world environments where people already use mobility aids – parks, walking routes or high streets – so people can physically try it, feel it and decide for themselves. I’d also like the next stage of development to involve co-design with users, so they can help shape it with me.
CMM: How have the challenge mentors helped to develop your product so far?
ZR: They’ve really helped clarify my thinking. I’ve had lots of ideas and variations, and they’ve helped me focus them into something more coherent. They’ve also given me confidence. Sometimes it can feel like I’m making things up as I go along, even though I’ve done a lot of research, but speaking to mentors and having them understand the vision has been a real confidence boost. It shows that the ideas have value and a place, and it helps me take them further.
CMM: What does social care innovation mean to you and why is it important?
ZR: It means everything. If we aren’t constantly evolving, we end up with more problems, especially with an ageing population and increasingly complex needs. Care work is not always seen as an aspirational profession, yet it is essential. We need to address that gap because, otherwise, who will care for us in the future? Ultimately, it will affect you, a loved one or friend. Innovation in social care is essential for building a sustainable future.
CMM meets Senses Moisture Care
CMM: Could you tell me a bit about your idea and who it will support?
Sian Ellingworth: The idea is about creating a product primarily for oral care for people who are in end of life or palliative care. It is a patented solution containing an active ingredient from a plant called Spilanthes Acmella, also known as the toothache plant. What it is known to do – prior to my idea for using it in this way – is kill harmful bacteria in the mouth, which is obviously great. But importantly, it also increases saliva levels.
The reason I created this was because a lady who was education lead for the NHS in oral care in Hertfordshire came to me and said, ‘Can you make these glycerine swab sticks that are often used to moisten the mouth at end of life taste good?’ That started me on the journey – not just about making them taste better but about making them better overall.
CMM: Did you encounter any early issues with product development?
SE: There were several key issues. Firstly, the traditional swab sticks tasted bad. Secondly, they were acidic and needed to be pH neutral, so they weren’t causing harm. Thirdly, they contained very high glycerine levels, which can draw moisture from surrounding tissues and make the condition worse. Finally, they weren’t environmentally friendly.
So, I thought, if I’m going to create an alternative, I want it to tick all those boxes and genuinely improve the experience for the user. It could be the last thing someone tastes before they die, and you want that to be as good as it possibly can be. It’s also about enabling people to speak. If you have a dry mouth, speech becomes very difficult, which might stop loved ones from hearing their last words.
CMM: What were your motivations for entering the challenge?
SE: I’ve been around this space for many years but mainly working on it in the evenings and weekends alongside my day job, which funded what I was doing. Because of that, I haven’t had the opportunity to meet many people who could really help develop it further. I think with any innovation, hearing different perspectives and lived experiences is what drives it forward, so I’m really open to that.
CMM: Do you have a connection to the sector or were you drawn to it?
SE: I do have a personal connection. I have an autistic child who had specific needs around oral care and a lot of associated challenges, which initially brought me into this space. Since then, my grandmother had a stroke and was in a care home for two years, and I saw firsthand several issues within the system. That combination really led me to want to get involved and try to help.
CMM: What feedback have you received?
SE: This has been in development for several years and I’ve been able to create and trial a version of the swab stick designed for people in palliative or end of life care, providing moisture care. It was trialled over a two-week period, and I received a lot of feedback, which helped me refine the product.
However, I recently received some disappointing feedback. The product isn’t yet good enough in terms of safety – specifically around choking risk. Anything used in the mouth must not be something that can be bitten off or detached easily, so I’m now back to the drawing board a bit. But, in a way, it’s also a useful opportunity to reassess whether I’m doing this in the best way. One of the challenges is that I had gone quite far down a single route and probably hadn’t stepped back enough.
Another issue is cost. One concern is that the product is relatively expensive compared to the cheap but not very effective alternatives currently available. If this process leads me to rethink the approach and create something more accessible, then that’s actually a positive outcome.
CMM: How have the challenge mentors supported the development of your product?
SE: They’ve given valuable insight based on their care experience. For example, suggestions like: could it be a powder that is swabbed around instead? Could we use existing products as applicators, so care teams aren’t having to introduce something entirely new?
Or, if it were a powder, could it be packaged in a graduated container so staff can easily see how much is left and manage reordering more efficiently? These are things I hadn’t really considered before, so it’s been incredibly helpful.
For the five semi-finalists, it all comes down to preparations for Care Show Birmingham on 7th-8th October, where the 2026 winner will be announced. Follow @CareInnovHub and @Care-Innovation-Challenge and use #CareInnovationChallenge for updates.