The council and showers

Tina20

I recently moved into a council flat, and the woman who showed me the flat told me there has been a recent modernization project. Apparently they are modernizing all the bathrooms and kitchens of council houses and flats.

The kitchen is lovely with new cupboard doors and worktops, and the bathroom has new cistern and new sealent round the bath etc. BUT there is no shower I have quite a bad back and some days it really hurts to get in and out of the bath. Would the council install a shower for me? I've looked for hoses that attach to the taps but can't find any ones that fit properly. I cannot possibly afford a new electric shower.
You'd think modernization would mean shower in bath, because baths use so much water it's not good for the environment heating all that water just for washing one person.

Is it worth me asking? My back isn't bad enough that I'm labelled 'disabled'.

sophsnan

I was in a council property and installed a lovely shower when the flat was modernised they put in a electric shower it was awful. The shower I put in was off the taps seperate hose etc came from screwfix if I remember correctly not that expensive.

aliasojo

Most if not all councils will not install a shower if it is just asked for by a tenant (rather than being part of a general improvement plan I mean).

The exception to this might be if there was a health need but I know with our council you have to be seriously disadvantaged by not having whatever it is you are requesting.

Best bet would be to keep looking for a suitable tap attachment (they come in all shapes these days so there should be something out there to fit) and also try to put away a couple of quid each week to save up for a proper shower.

You could also get in touch with your GP/Health Visitor in case there is any kind of scheme in your area that might help with this from a medical aspect (because of your back) but you may find you need to be registered disabled for this. Different areas have different criteria I believe.

moremore

My friend lives in a council flat and disabled, council OT has been to friends place about 12 times trying to sort out bath problems, it is an old bath that was put in when the block was built in 60's. Bath very rusty at the plug outlet end and the equipment that OT gave was making it more difficult to use the bath. Each time the bath was used with the useless expensive equipment that the OT's recommended used up more of the bath space and my friend feet was on top of the rust in the bath outlet.

The useless OT's could not see this happening and would not change the bath or even put a shower head in for my friend to wash down so for years my friend had to go without bathing.

The council eventually change the bath becasue it started to leak on the flat below and it was not the OT that recommended that to be done it was the council maintenance iron bath had become to the end of its life years ago. However, the council own maintances people were so much better than the useless OT's from the council as they were a lot of time waster and money spenders as the useless equipment that they recommeded was no good to my friend and it cost the tax payer a lot more for they many time for the OT's visits as well as the cost of equipment and that was not cheap either so all in all it would have much better money wise and for my friend if the OT's from the council had changed the rusty bath in the first instance as my friend requested.

My friend was told by OT's it is not important for people that are retired and with health problmes to have baths and a wash down over the sink was sufficent for retired people in the borough. :mad::mad:

C_Mababejive

You could always ask but they are under no obligation to do so. Are the taps a funny shape in that a clip on shower wont fit securely?

macman

Why did you accept the flat, knowing that a shower was necessary for you?
If a clip on shower won't fit then it would be possible to change the taps .

Tina20

sophsnan wrote: »

I was in a council property and installed a lovely shower when the flat was modernised they put in a electric shower it was awful. The shower I put in was off the taps seperate hose etc came from screwfix if I remember correctly not that expensive.

Thank you! I will look into screwfix

Tina20

macman wrote: »

Why did you accept the flat, knowing that a shower was necessary for you?
If a clip on shower won't fit then it would be possible to change the taps .

A shower is not life or death, sometimes my back hurts getting in and out of the bath but I only had ONE offer of a place, if I refused I would be knocked off the list. I'd rather have a bad back then be living on the streets.

But thanks for your reply anyway

macman

Tina20 wrote: »

A shower is not life or death, sometimes my back hurts getting in and out of the bath but I only had ONE offer of a place, if I refused I would be knocked off the list. I'd rather have a bad back then be living on the streets.

But thanks for your reply anyway

But they might have been able to offer you an alternative with a shower. Did you ask?

Norman_Castle

Would the council install a shower for me?

Have you asked the council?

aliasojo

macman wrote: »

But they might have been able to offer you an alternative with a shower. Did you ask?

I don't think councils are that amenable tbh. You get an offer of a place you either accept it or refuse it. You don't usually get the option of saying it doesn't quite suit and do they have anything else.