Dad disabled after accident, unsure how to proceed

Savvy_Sue

TBagpuss wrote: »

switching to a walk in bath

think very very carefully before installing a walk in bath.

Bear in mind that the user will have to walk in BEFORE the water is run, and stay in UNTIL the water has drained.

Not my idea of a nice bath ... although possibly in a warm enough bathroom, if able to stand while the water drains, it might not be so bad.

margaretclare

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

think very very carefully before installing a walk in bath.

Bear in mind that the user will have to walk in BEFORE the water is run, and stay in UNTIL the water has drained.

Not my idea of a nice bath ... although possibly in a warm enough bathroom, if able to stand while the water drains, it might not be so bad.

Couldn't agree more. I never understood how they worked, until someone explained that you have to be in it, stark naked, while the water creeps in around your ankles.

From what I hear, bath vs shower is very much a personal preference. We haven't had a bath - as in lie down in warm water - for about 15 years now. I defy anyone to say we are dirty people. I love my daily shower and so does DH. We have to have what's called 'level access' i.e. there is no step up.

It might be an idea to visit a local disability shop and look at grab-handles, along with all the other things that are available to help.

teddysmum

I'm 68 and do sometimes have problems getting out of the bath (in is no problem) but would hate a shower. This is probably because ,at school we were marshalled through a series of steamy showers after PE lessons and I dreaded them, so have never fancied water dropping down on me.


Also,a bath is more relaxing if you want to recline while warming your body.


Would one of the inflatable bath seats help ? It would take up much space, when not in use, so would leave the bathroom looking normal and being soft would be unlikely to damage the bath's surface.

Johnmcl7

margaretclare wrote: »

Pity he's so far away. Have a look at the kinds of things that are now being done at the Nuffield Orthpaedic Centre, Oxford. It was only opened in 2007 by the Duchess of Cornwall and what they can do there is not replacement, not revision, but complete reconstruction. This has been done for my DH, age 82, earlier this year. It was a 3-way process - orthopaedics, microbiology and plastic surgery. The man who did it is a Scot - Mr Ben Kendrick - and my DH was referred to him by another Scot, Mr Anthony Greer at our local hospital.

The problem isn't the hip surgery itself as that part went fine before, the issue is that any surgery would be high risk to him. They've given it plenty of time as it's not a decision to take lightly but that's the way it is.

John

Johnmcl7

teddysmum wrote: »

I'm 68 and do sometimes have problems getting out of the bath (in is no problem) but would hate a shower. This is probably because ,at school we were marshalled through a series of steamy showers after PE lessons and I dreaded them, so have never fancied water dropping down on me.


Also,a bath is more relaxing if you want to recline while warming your body.


Would one of the inflatable bath seats help ? It would take up much space, when not in use, so would leave the bathroom looking normal and being soft would be unlikely to damage the bath's surface.

The bath almost never gets used as a bath (possibly twice in the last five years by my visiting sister) and certainly never by my Dad which is partly prompting this. The hospital supplied a seat for him to place in the bath for using the shower but the problem is he has to step over the high side of the bath which was difficult before and I don't think it will be possible in his current state.

margaretclare

Johnmcl7 wrote: »

The problem isn't the hip surgery itself as that part went fine before, the issue is that any surgery would be high risk to him. They've given it plenty of time as it's not a decision to take lightly but that's the way it is.

John

I am so sorry. There is obviously more going on related to your Dad's health and physical condition and his clinical team will be well aware of it all.

We have been very very lucky with all that DH has had done. The problem boiled down to infection in his femur from earlier knee replacement/revision. A few months ago we had no idea at all that 'reconstruction' was even possible.

I understand how stepping over the side of a bath would be impossible for your Dad. Sometimes when we've stayed in hotels we've asked for a shower and been told 'oh the shower is over the bath'. Absolutely useless to us and dangerous even.

The company who did our 'wet room' have a lot of experience and understand the sort of things that people require. Have a look at the link for Mobility Solutions.

BorisThomson

Spamming on a thread about disability could not be more distasteful.

Johnmcl7

BorisThomson wrote: »

Spamming on a thread about disability could not be more distasteful.

Can't expect spammers to have any ethics, thankfully it's removed already.

To give an update as it's been some time since I initially posted, aside from a couple of trips back to the hospital, my Dad has been home.

He's getting attendance allowance which went through without issue and also a blue badge. They also fitted additional hand rails for the front door step and the stairs, we paid for them to fit rails for the back door. Initially he wasn't allowed a zimmer frame but after a fall and him going back to hospital, we've got a couple of zimmer frames which he's much more stable on.

We've paid to have the bath converted to a walk in shower, he's not good on the stairs but he is managing them so holding off on the stairlift for now.

Thanks again for the replies and advice.
John

[Deleted User]

Thanks for this thread. It applies to my situation, I am not in a situation yet where I need a sit down shower but I do need a shower due to arthritis and ASD (sitting in water is something I dread, i am ok with showers). OT have agreed to a shower but the sit down over bath sort they normally install is going to cause more problems than it will sort (I also have problems stepping over the bath side and they are insisting on putting the shower on the long wall in the middle of the bath which will mean if I have balance issues I am at a high risk of falling over the side of the bath - no room to take a step back to rebalance myself). A grab rail won't help, once again it would all be set up for a sitter.

So I am now looking at ways of installing a very small walk in shower myself. Its a council house though, so may not be able to get permission and saving the money to have it done will take time.

GlasweJen

Johnmcl7 wrote: »

Can't expect spammers to have any ethics, thankfully it's removed already.

To give an update as it's been some time since I initially posted, aside from a couple of trips back to the hospital, my Dad has been home.

He's getting attendance allowance which went through without issue and also a blue badge. They also fitted additional hand rails for the front door step and the stairs, we paid for them to fit rails for the back door. Initially he wasn't allowed a zimmer frame but after a fall and him going back to hospital, we've got a couple of zimmer frames which he's much more stable on.

We've paid to have the bath converted to a walk in shower, he's not good on the stairs but he is managing them so holding off on the stairlift for now.

Thanks again for the replies and advice.
John

Hi John, glad to hear your dad’s on the mend and on the correct support. If you ever get into the stairlift market consider second hand, most will be fine as long as the staircase doesn’t turn or have any unusual high steps or anything. You could save yourselves a small fortune.