Making it Safer – without ripping out your bathroom.
On average having a new walk-in shower, wet room or walk in bath to make bathing and showering easier and safer can start from anything between £2,500 up to £10,000, this of course depends on the equipment being installed, the size of the bathroom and work involved such as plumbing, electrics, tiling, flooring and so on.
Making your bathroom a safer and a more accessible place doesn’t have to cost thousands of pounds and involve major adaptation work as there is a wide variety of minor equipment available that will assist making life easier.
I have suggested below a list of equipment which some may require minor alterations, that can make your bathroom a safer environment that will be cheaper than a bathroom adaptation.
- Lighting – The importance of good IP Rated lighting in a bathroom cannot be underestimated, being able to see objects and bathroom furnishings clearly could improve overall safety.
- Flooring – The flooring in a bathroom can be one of the most dangerous areas for anyone, especially if they have a disability or mobility issue. The bathroom floor could be classed as a major cause of slips or falls. Anti-slip vinyl flooring will certainly help prevent slipping on the floor, with a range of textures for increased foot hold, it is also waterproof, hard wearing and maintenance free.
- Strips or Discs – Anti-slip strips or discs can be used on the base of a shower or bath and are designed to improve safety in these areas by reducing the risk of slipping or falling. The strips or discs are easy to apply and are generally non abrasive and will help create a non-slip surface.
- Grab Rails – Grab rails are one of the easiest ways to provide support and balance for someone with mobility issues in a bathroom environment. They have a variety of uses within the bathroom and come is a variety of types, sizes, angles, and appearances such as floor to ceiling poles, grab rails, angled rails, hinged arms etc. Fitting a grab rail in the correct position will not only offer stability and safety but give confidence and reduce the risk of slipping or falling.
- Shower Seats – There is a large assortment of shower seats and chairs for shower cubicles, walk in showers and wet rooms. They are a huge benefit especially if a person is not steady on their feet or have balance issues. They offer a safe, supported, seated space whilst washing and showering.
- Bath Seats and Boards – Easy to fit, bath seats can sit inside the bath and a bath board is often placed on the rim of the bath to provide a platform to sit on, which will assist getting in and out of the bath easier.
- Bath Steps – Lifting legs and manoeuvring them into a bath can be difficult and, in some cases, unsafe and dangerous. A raised step will help climbing over the side and accessing the bath easier. Bath steps come in a variety of anti-slip platform sizes and heights.
- Bathlifts – there are wide variety of bath lifts that will fit into your existing bath without requiring any adaptation work. The bath lift sits in the bath and with the aid of a handset, will lower to the bottom of the bath and returning to the top of the bath when finished. Bath lifts come in seated versions with recliner options, band type (which will required installing) and cushion types and are often powered by batteries or electrical connections
- Toilet Seat Raisers – Toilet seat raisers come in a range of heights to suit a person’s needs. They are easy to fit to an exisisting toilet without altering the existing toilet pan or cistern. A raised toilet will help increase safety making it easier to sit down and stand up from the seat.
- Toilet Frames – A toilet frame is a product that fits onto or around a toilet and can be fixed or free standing. They offer stability and help a person safely manoeuvre around the toilet when there sitting down or standing up.
Help & Advice:
Accessible Bathroom Consultants offer impartial and independent advice along with a personal service. We can assist you with the following:
- Product positioning – – Budgeting – Equipment sourcing
- Plans and designs – Equipment and price negotiating. – Project management
