Level Access Shower - anyone had one done?

pebbles88

Hiya,

Due to my Mums lowered mobility, her occ health nurse has agreed our bath be taken out and a level access shower fitted.

they will fully tile the walls that will be covered by the shower, 1 full wall and 2 half ones. I will need to be with her to help her wash.

when we used the one in the hospital, there was a small seat, like a mini shelf attached to the wall, and a grab rail along the wall. so occ health have said they will do the same.

my question is: for people that have had them, is there anything that you wished you had had done at the time, but didnt think of it til after? or anything we should be aware of? or further things we should change at the same time? or if you wished you'd done differently?

my mums mobility will only get worse, so i am trying to think of what may be in a few years time. I have a meeting with social servs and carers help next week, but am a bit lost with it all. any help/advice from others that have had it done would be very much appreciated.

thanks for reading

Mojisola

Mum and Dad had this done through a grant. We paid the extra so that the whole room could be tiled and so they could choose their own - the grant money would only pay for plain white tiles around the shower.

The OT should be advising on where the grab rails need to be, not agreeing to your suggestions! Mum's OT supplied a shower seat which can also be used at the sink. She wouldn't approve a wall-mounted shower seat as she said they're no good when the disabled person needs a carer to help them. They're also really only for perching and a disabled person feels more secure sitting in a chair.

pebbles88

Mojisola wrote: »

Mum and Dad had this done through a grant. We paid the extra so that the whole room could be tiled and so they could choose their own - the grant money would only pay for plain white tiles around the shower.

The OT should be advising on where the grab rails need to be, not agreeing to your suggestions! Mum's OT supplied a shower seat which can also be used at the sink. She wouldn't approve a wall-mounted shower seat as she said they're no good when the disabled person needs a carer to help them. They're also really only for perching and a disabled person feels more secure sitting in a chair.

Oops i think i havent explained properly , I have only spoke to the occ health, the team that will actually do the task are yet to et in touch direct. We got their details today. so rather than going to my suggestions, it was more of a informal telephone call chatting about what could be done etc.

thats a really good point re the wall mounted seat, she not even 6 stone wringing wet, and with a hip replacement, couple of other ops too, she is little like a fragile little china doll.

the first 2 seats we had to try from occ health over the bath were literally a plank thing, and then a swivel bath seat that she couldnt get herself in and out of as she doesnt have the strength. I know they had to look at these before they could do anything else though for budgeting reasons.

Errata

The seats are flip down things attached to the wall and a carer can help the person shower if they wear waterproofs! Of course, this applies to all the other seats for use in showers.
Pros: a shower is fine if the person can get in and out of it, control the flow and temperature, and shower themselves without help.
Cons: the bathroom needs to be tanked professionally, and the opposite of all the above.
The Third Way: a paid arrangement with a local care home for an assisted bath at their premises once or twice a week.

pebbles88

Errata wrote: »

The seats are flip down things attached to the wall and a carer can help the person shower if they wear waterproofs! Of course, this applies to all the other seats for use in showers.
Pros: a shower is fine if the person can get in and out of it, control the flow and temperature, and shower themselves without help.
Cons: the bathroom needs to be tanked professionally, and the opposite of all the above.
The Third Way: a paid arrangement with a local care home for an assisted bath at their premises once or twice a week.

hiya,

what does tanked mean?

muskoka

My mum had one of these wet rooms also when she was alive (many years ago) with a grant. She had a seat that folded up fixed to the wall under the shower AND had arms on the seat also. I know she felt entirely safe & secure whilst sitting in the shower chair seat. It worked excellently for her & I or carer helped her. It really DID give her a better quality of life.

adonis

When my mums shower was installed the seat fixed to the wall started coming loose a year later, so i would go for a free standing seat.

They also fitted a thermostatically controlled electric shower that was safer for her to use.

Also, if you need the bathroom made bigger now is the time to do it.

Tanked basically is making it waterproof, if you are not using a pre-formed shower tray.

mary-op

Due to both mine and OH's disability we're getting a grant from the council for stair lift and shower but turns out the shower will mean the bathroom has to be a wet room. I really just wanted a walk-in shower. I do have a choice and can get quotes from other people but this will delay the process even more than it already has been (been waiting 6 months now )
Someone told me they were surprised the council were putting a wet room in upstairs. Is this normally the case ?

Mojisola

My parents have a wet room upstairs, done by an LA grant. The shower isn't open to the rest of room - it has half-height folding walls and a shower curtain so that the whole room doesn't get soaked when someone has a shower. The flooring goes up the wall for a couple of inches to prevent leaking.