A specialist, water tight, care assisted bath / bathing solution - Leeds, West Yorkshire

30 September 2015

* For privacy reasons we will not be naming the customers for the following case study but instead will refer to them as Mr & Mrs X.

Problem:

Mr & Mrs X had a disabled child who was becoming increasingly difficult to care for in an ‘un-adapted / assisted’ setting due to natural age and growth progression. As a youngster, Mr & Mrs X were able to care for and assist their child in daily life as they were able to manoeuvre and help with mobility. Unfortunately as the child grew it was becoming a problematic strain on the parents having to pick up, carry and manoeuvre to the point of near impossibility within the next year or so.

The current bathing solution within the couple’s home came in the form of an inflatable rise and fall bath cushion. To work this solution you would have to fill the bath, inflate the cushion, lift the user over the bath and onto the cushion; often dispersing a great deal of water, deflate the user into the water and reflate when ready to get them out the bath – a ‘messy’ and somewhat un-safe task for sure which was increasingly becoming a problem. 

Solution:

More Ability surveyor & designer, Nigel Dawson, worked tirelessly with Mr & Mrs X to understand what outcome the couple needed to achieve in order to help them and their child have the easiest and safest quality of life. The top and bottom of it was that easy access, in terms of helping to manoeuvre, was paramount along with care assisted bathing solutions.

Outcome:

Inclusive of internal building works, Nigel converted the downstairs family bathroom into a water tight bespoke bathing room. With widened doors, the new water tight ‘wet floor’ room housed an adjustable rise and fall bath with built in transferable / wash board stretcher meaning they could manoeuvre and bath their child without strain and over shower mixer.

The whole room was wall tiled and featured slip resistant vinyl. The bespoke rise and fall bath was located over the wet floor shower waste meaning the couple could rinse their child using the shower without fear of soaking the room. 

The couple were absolutely thrilled and externally grateful, not only for the work carried out but with the manner in doing so. The quality of life for all involved was at an all time high as bathing for their child, as it should be at that age, was for the first time a fun, safe and enjoyable experience.