Adapting your home for disability Bathrooms – disability adaptations
Consider grab rails, non-slip flooring and an extractor fan
It’s very important to adapt the bathroom so that whatever disability a person has, they can use the room as independently as possible. These changes are helpful for many conditions:
- a hand-held shower facility,
- grab rails for the shower or bath,
- non-slip flooring, and
- an extractor fan to keep the bathroom clear of steam.
Adapting baths and showers
If space allows, you might also want to consider including a hoist to allow someone with poor mobility to be gently lowered into the bath. Alternatively, there are baths available with doors for easy access and showers can be specially built to cope with wheelchairs.
Some shower cubicles can even be created to cater for both showering and going to the toilet, if they are fitted with a special macerator that gets rid of the waste. This can be particularly helpful in areas where space is tight.
Hot water
You must ensure that there is an even water temperature to prevent scalding accidents. It is possible to fix the temperature to a certain range so that no one can be hurt. And consider installing a thermostatic or electric shower.
Adapting toilets
It is usually easy to buy adaptations to raise the toilet seat to a required level. This might be just a second seat to go on top, or a frame that can be put over the toilet to ensure it is the right height for the disabled person. Raised toilet seats and raised seats with frames are usually available free of charge through social services following an occupational therapist assessment.
Choosing a supplier
There are many companies that specialise in adapting and fitting bathrooms. Find them at www.assist-uk.org.
But before you contact a company, try to get a visit and assessment from your local authority or NHS occupational therapist service. They are free of charge and unbiased as they don’t benefit from any sales that a company makes. It’s a good way to make sure you spend your money on what you or your relative need, rather than what someone wants to sell you.
Many suppliers have showrooms you can visit to see all the different types of bathrooms that can be created. Large companies have people that can come around and assess the best place for a new bathroom, or the type of fittings that you need.
More information
Some useful websites for bathroom fittings are:
www.betterlifehealthcare.com
www.carefreebathing.co.uk
www.dlf.org.uk
www.gainsboroughsbd.com
www.ricability.org.uk
