hi all - my father had a fall and fractured his hip last August. the day before his fall he had a ct scan. the ct scan came back "suspicious" for colon cancer. He was too sick for a colonoscopy. he just got it done and of course it came back positive. we are aiming for a surgery date of mid December. However. he just was diagnosed with " c. diff" which of course will delay the surgery. he also has exhausted his rehabilitation benefits which means he is coming home next week (regardless of whether or not he we are ready.)
my question is - my house is multilevel so there are steps here and there. we have a bathroom near the study that Dad can (and has) used in the past. the bathroom is tiny and we were wondering about converting it into a step in bath for the elderly. I think this is a great idea as it will benefit my dad AND my mom. has anyone had this done and any tips/tricks to advise? thanks!
Only once have I had to call upon my daughter for assistance and we wont be doing that again - bathing mob handed just made the minor battle WW3
Then because I hate dirty grout and I also hate cleaning it I got a beautiful laminated shower board in bright sparkly red (they have dozens of colours but I wanted something that would make me happy)
Then I got a horseshoe shaped seat so when I was showering her I could get to every part of her - particularly useful for accidents
Then I made sure the shower doors were half height so I could shower her without a) me getting drowned and b) me breaking my back from leaning over more than I needed to
Finally I managed to get a 2.5 yard long hose which meant I could shower her easily from outside the shower
However there are alternatives. You can get amazing slide boards for baths so you put the person on outside the bath and then slide them across and shower them (they come with arm rests and seat belts too for safety - I couldn't get the one I wanted because it is only shipped to within the USA or I would have opted for that but I ma very very happy with the style I have and I know it will serve us until I can no longer care for Mum (physically that is - mentally she is driving me nuts already!!!!0
I would go for a huge shower with bench rather than a walk in tub because she has to be able to stand while you hose her off. When she can't get out of bed that presents a whole new set of issues.
Place the hand rails where a handicapped person can actually us them rather than conventional places. The one over my slapdash is totally useless as is the one beside the toilet. A person needs to be able to pull themselves up. I have to roll over in the tub and get up on my hands and knees. Not elegant but it works. I do let the water out first in case I slip and drown myself. (The family won't have to wait six weeks for the autopsy drug screen to come back negative)
Having a step-in shower was $4,000. Mom didn't want one of the step-in tubs with a door, so that was out too. So I called a local company that does bath renovations, and they came in, took one look and offered us an $800 tub cut-down - and if I have a new surround put on top of the tub, the whole thing is only $1200. Much better! They will cut down the wall of the existing tub to make a 20" opening with a 4" threshold to stop the water from splashing out and to hold the shower curtain in place. It will be finished and smooth on the sides with a textured surface on the threshold to prevent slipping, and will be painted a slightly darker color than our tub - a nice touch, I thought - they said it's because elderly people lose their perception of depth and the opening blends in with the rest of the tub if they don't change the color - and it results in trips and falls. Very nice that they thought of this small, but important detail.
We're hoping to have ours done in March.
I also was concerned about the length of time to fill and empty the tub, cwillie, but a friend raved about hers and said they didn't take long to empty. She was right. The pipes are larger and the fill/empty process is much faster. (Also makes a more powerful shower.) I wash my hair last, so I am standing up under the shower head while the tub is draining. I can also begin drying my upper body while still in the tub.
For both my husband and my mother I draped a warm towel around them while they waited for the tub to drain.
As I said, I love my walk-in tub with air jets.
I am thinking of trying car wax on our shower walls to see if that would help in cleaning.
not for everyone, indeed ..
My husband could get into our shower just fine, but he missed taking baths and when he saw an ad for a walk-in tub he asked me about getting one. I looked into it and that is what I did. Yes, it was expensive. It did involve some new tile around the tub but that was included in the installation estimate. He truly did enjoy it. The seat height made it easy for me or an aide to help him bathe. He was able to take the small step into the tub -- someone unable to bear weight on their feet could not.
I had a light installed about the tub and I love to sit in bubbles and read. We got air jets and it is great. (I once had a jucuzzi and didn't like it nearly as well. The regular chair height bench is great.) My son and daughter love it for showering, too.
I am delighted with my walk-in tub, but it is not for everyone.
Would this be the only tub in your home, or is there one upstairs?
I am very sorry for all the frustrations and delays in your father's treatment.
We have a VERY tiny bathroom - it is literally only as wide as the length of the tub, and the tub is not average length. So when you walk in, you are facing the tub, and the sink and toilet are across from each other just ahead of the tub - you have to turn sideways to walk between the sink and toilet to get to the tub. I've seen closets bigger than this bathroom!
I see from your profile that your parents live in their own home. Will your parents be willing to do that remodeling? Instead of a step-in tub, what about a walk in shower that has a built in seat? Then that way when in the future it is time to sell their home, you wouldn't need to convert the bath back into a regular bathroom. With a step-in tub, you might have to convert back to sell the house. Something to think about.