Shower or Bath

[GlenBrittle]

Here is a question for those that already have the equipment in place.

What will be better ? A wheelchair accessible shower OR a lift for a bathtub ?

Before diagnosis , we built a huge bathroom with a theraputic tube for two. We have room to install a wheelchair accessible shower.

I am not in a wheelchair yet, but want to plan for that horrible day :-x .

I currently crawl in and out of the tub today . In the future , hopefully a long time from now , this will become impossible.

What , in your opinion will be easier to work with for myself and my wife helping.

Thanks in advance for your viewpoints.

Glen

 

[joelc]

Well, my advice would be to do a shower as a shower commode chair is easy to wheel in. Using a tub, in my opinion, would be much harder as a lift would have to be used and then you would have to remain in the sling as you are going to be too weak to sit in the tube without it. A commode chair is easily handled by a caregiver. I use one and would not be able to use a tub. Also, once you have a PEG and/or a trache and vent then the tub is not an option. Make your shower 7 by 7 feet with a curb you can wheel the chair up easily.

Also, being in a wheelchair is actually fun - no at all horrible.

 

[Al]

We built a roll in shower. Caregiver puts me in Hoyer lift onto commode chair and they wheel me into shower and out again and lift me onto bed for dressing and then into chair. Works great. Not a big deal.

AL.

 

[olly]

hi,i moved to a disabled adapted home a few months back.
i have a wheelchair/wet room,you can just be wheeled in and out.
i posted 2 photos on my profile album.
i do really miss my bath and having a soak though,but my son said we can could try and find an old tin bath lol.
i joked i could have a soak in the living room watching tv lol.

 

[Jennifer51]

we are at the same stage as you, planning for the next stage. I have a chair in the shower at the moment and can still manage on my own, just. The OT sent a swivel chair for the bath, and even at this stage, with me still having some mobility, it is MUCH harder to use than the shower. We are now looking at installing a wetroom (roll in shower). Having thought this through thoroughly, and having the chance to try a bath seat, I can see that a roll in shower will be the best solution, both for me to retain some independence as long as I can, and will be easier for my husband in the future.

 

[GlenBrittle]

Thank you all ...

 

[sharonca]

Mine is roll in shower with no curb. 2x2 tiles on floor for more grip. I know I said I would post pics and have not. Sorry. I'll get one of my sons to take and load pics today.

Sharonca

 

[GlenBrittle]

Did Sharonca just say she will be posting pictures of herself in the shower ? :twisted:

Smile , others will think you are up to something.

 

[BarryG]

GlenBrittle, Isn't that what the internet is for?
Barry

 

[rose]

Barry, I'm pretty sure that is the primary use the internet was developed for 8)

 

[tmasters]

Shower pics posted

I also have a roll-in shower. They just finished construction Feb 2 and I've posted some pics on my profile. (Beat you to it Sharon!)

-Tom

 

[MtPockets]

Vote for a roll in shower

I had the roll in shower also. I still have the handicapped bars there even thou I cannot walk or stand. I use them to move a little one way or other. I also had then add a extra hand held water sprayer thingy, that the aid can rinse off the bottom end since my wheel in shower chair has a big hole in the middle. Got to watch out for them Klingon's. :-D

 

[cutecousin]

This is weird

I just had this shower or bath talk with my occupational thearipist last week. She was an advocate for the roll in shower. DHS is going to help with my bathroom so they sent a construction worker over to measure my bathroom, he said it was going to b tricky. Nothing is quite as easy as we would like it. I am so happy to have all of you out there that understand exactly what I am going through.

 

[CRF8]

not easy

you are right, nothing is easy... a simple convert from bath to shower, we just did it =
trip #1 plumber rips out tub and jackhammers our concrete floor out to move drain
trip -#2 tile guys come and are not happy with the drain , not enough slope. they want the plumber to jackhammer out the entire shower area to lower it several inches...
I tell them NOT going to happen. #3 tile guys come back and tear old tile out, plumber puts in new valve & shuts off tub spout
tile guys eventually build up the floor pan for the slope to drain, ruining my idea of NO threshold for chairs to climb over...
4 days later its done, has to dry,grout, dry the grout seal the grout, dry again...finally try to use it and no cold water, all hot.... plumber trip 4 to turn the cartridge around in the fawcett.
yippeeee

 

[rose]

Tom, the shower pictures are very helpful. I'm hoping that others will be able to post some as well. We are moving due to my situation, and still assuming that we will need to either make a completely new bathroom, or convert one. Any and all information pertaining to this is appreciated.

BTW, the bathroom turned out gorgeous, Tom. That is what I want, something that looks nice too, other than just functionality if possible.