Older Living - Bathing

Few homes are designed with the bathing needs of less mobile people in mind, and adapting bathrooms can be difficult and expensive. Note that in many cases you may qualify for a VAT tax exemption on this type of purchase.

Location

Of course the first problem may be the location of the bathroom. Should it be necessary to relocate the bathroom to a different floor the cost can be very high. It's probably a cheaper option in most cases to install a stairlift to enable access to the required floor.

Bathroom fittings

The major problem with most bathrooms for less able bodied people is that the bath is very hard to get into and out of. Also showering will be problem unless it's a walk in shower. In this case it may be necessary to fit a shower seat.

Some of the solutions are described below.

Shower seats

If you have a walk in shower, then a shower seat can make bathing easier. These are generally inexpensive, typically £50 - £100. However, showers are slippery places, so this solution may only be suitable for those with limited disabity.

 

 

 

Specially adapted baths - walk in baths

One option for people who wish to continue using a bath, is to purchase a specially designed bath. Typically these have a door opening at the side. These baths can expensive, will require plumbing and fitting, and because they have a different shape from standard baths, may require considerable redecoration of the bathroom to achieve a satisfactory installation.

For

• Provide a very comfortable bathing experience, little different from a standard bath
• Can be used easily by most people who can use any of the other bath lifts described here

 

Against

• Tend to be expensive, prices range from £1000 to £3000.
• Require plumbing, installation, redecoration. This could easily add £2000 to the price
• Can take quite a long time to fill because they are deeper than standard baths
• You have to fully drain the bath before you can get out of it!
• Doors can leak

 

Bathlifts

A cheaper and popular solution to special baths is to use a bathlift to make getting into and out of a standard bath much easier. There are number of different types some requiring professional fitting, some requiring nothing more than placing in the bath. He's a list of types of bath lift explaining their pros and cons. A common feature of these devices is that they use removable rechageable battery packs to power them. This avoids runing ptential dangerous mains voltages into the bathroom. However, it will be necessary to remove the batter packs from teh lifts and to charge them elsewhere. Typically the batteries will need to be recharged each fortnight. Rechargeable batteries are used rather than mains power, partly for electrical safety reasons in bathrooms, but also so the user isn't left stranded in the bath in the event of a power cut.

Static seat

These are simply rigid seats to place in the bath so that the user doesn't have to lower him/herself to the very bottom of the bath. These are inexpensive (£30 upwards), more expensive versions have a swivelling action to make them easier to use. These seats are not suitable for people with a greater level of disability, and do not allow the user to sink deep into the bath water, so the bathing experience is not as pleasant as that provided by more sophisticated aids.

For

• Inexpensive (£30 - £200)
• No installation required
• Simple, nothing to break or maintain.

Against

• Occupant can't sit at the bottom of the bath in deep bath water
• Has to be removed from bath for the bath to be used normally
• Occupant needs to have a greater level of mobility than for some of the more sophisticated solutions

Mechanical in-bath rasing seat

These seats used a mechangical frame operated by an electric motor to lower the occupant into the bath. The motor is usually powered by rechargeable batteries (like most of the other bath lifts described here).

 

For

• No installation required, lift simply sits in the bath
• Can be inexpensive. Prices range from £150 to £700.

Against

• Bather is not lowered to the very bottom of the bath
• Has to be removed for other able-bodied bathers to use the bath (has to be put somewhere)

Inflatable in-bath seat

These are basically soft flexible seats which simply sit in the bath usaully secured to the base of the bath with suction cups. The seat is inlated to allow the user to slide across the top of the bath edge onto the seat, and the seat is then deflted to lower the bather to the bottom of the bath. These seats typically retail for about £450.

For

• Bather is lowered to the very bottom of the bath
• Minimal installation reuired, lift simply placed in the bath
• Cheaper than belt type lifts and hoists

Against

• More expensive than mechanical in-bath lifts
• May not provide stable enough surface for more unsteady users
• Has to be removed from the bath for other users not to be inconvenienced.

Belt type bath lifts

These lifts are battery powered, and provide a tough fabric belt for the user to site on. In the up position, the belt is drawn taught across the top rim of the bath and this forms a firm seat for the user to slide onto. Once seated the user presses a button to slacken the belt slowly, lowering the user to the base of the bath. To get out of the bath, pressing the up button causes the lift to wind in and tighten the belt raising the occupant to the top rim of the bath, allowing the user to slide sideways out of the bath. These lifts are powered by rechargeable batteries which typically need recharging once every two weeks or so. The batteries are not particularly heavy but some users may require help with removing and recharging the batteries.

There are a number of styles, we've tested the Aquasoothe, and the Molly Bather. Both are recommended, the Molly Bather provides a seat alongside the bath which houses the mechanism and battery. This may make entering the bath easier for some users, but takes up a bit of floor space. Access to the rechargeable batteries is easier with the Molly Bather.

Aquasoothe

 

 

Molly Bather

For

• Provide a firm stable seat to slide on to
• Fairly easy to install (typical professional installation takes 2-4 hours
• Lowers occupant to the very bottom of the bath
• Very comfortable once in the bath because the belt is just a thin layer of fabric
• Less expensive than a special bath installation
• Bath remains fully useable by able-bodied occupants, belts unclip and wind away

Against

• Expensive. Can cost from about £850 - £1600
• Require installation, usually bolting to wall. Walls need to be able to take the load. Stud partition walls may require a backing plate to be installed (by the installer).
• Occupant has to jiggle slightly on band as it winds up and down (although a slip cover over the band makes this less of a problem)

Bath hoists

Bath hoists are mounted externally to the bath and swing the bather from outside of the bath, over the bath edge an then lower them into the bath. Leaving the bath is the reversal of this process. They require professional installation, and are usually operated by an assistant to move the bather into the bath. They are suited to people with a greater level of disability who would find most of the bath lifts descibed above as too difficult to use.

For

• May be used with most types of standard bath.
• Can enable even the least able-bodied to have a nearly normal bathing experience
• User can be lowered quite low into the bathwater (although not as low as for the belt type bath lifts)

Against

• More expensive than other types of lift, typically £1800
• Require professional installation

Other considerations

When a less able bodied person is to be left to use a bathroom alone, there are some other considerations which may make the situation safer.

i) ensure floors etc. are non-slip; don't leave objects or mats around which could be a trip hazard

ii) is there a phone or alarm in the bathroom?

Don't install a mains phone but find a convenient place for a DECT cordless phone which could give peace of mind. If you have insalled an alarm system, have a pull cord alarm installed in the bathroom.

iii) fit thermostatic bath / shower taps.

This will avoid potentially lifethreaing accidents with scalding water. If it's not feasible for cost or other reasons, then turn down the temperature of the hot water at the boiler so it's not much above usable temperature. This will be safer, and will save energy and cost. As a final safety option encourage the person to add the cold water to the bath first and then raise the temperature by adding hot. What we're trying to avoid at all times is the situation where there is a bath full of hot scalding water which someone could fall into.