Accessibility Options for the Bathroom

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Pros and Cons of Walk-In Bathtubs

At first glance, a walk-in tub looks like a brilliant idea and for some people it is a good solution.  They downside is the time it takes to fill and empty the tub you can’t just walk in and soak. Now consider what happens when you finish your bath… Exactly now you wait for the water to drain.

There are slide in tubs that allow a person to slide from a chair or sit down before shutting the door but there is no getting around the wait for the hot water to arrive and the wait to for it to drain.

These tubs are seats, which does mean it is easy to get up once your bath is finished and you can reach all sides easily.

Walk In tubs are expensive and still have lips and ledges that could become a hazard for people with balance issues.

Pros and Cons of Benches

This is something that most people don’t really think about and most of the options on the market are unfortunately designed to look like equipment found in a hospital.  Beige plastic and metal tubes, not stylish at all.

There are a small sample of bath benches that look like somebody made an attempt at style but they have a long way to go before they would win any interior decorating contest. 

In terms of usability they are certainly the cheapest way to make a bathtub into a sitting shower but they are bulky and unsightly.

Pros and Cons of Lifts

Electric lifts of various types are interesting.  They are sort of a collapsible chair that lowers into a tub.  This does preserve the lounging in hot water part of bathing which is really the only reason for having a bath.  The downside of lifts is that they take up room on the bottom of the tub so you need a deep soaker tub to get full immersion. 

Pros and Cons of Ceiling or Floor Mounted Lifts

Yes they are like a ski lift for your bathtub.  A ceiling mounted lift is expensive but it can serve to help move a person around the house as well as simply in the bathroom.  When you consider the convenience and mobility that a ceiling mounted lift system can provide it might well be the best option although probably also the most expensive. A lift is clearly the safest way to enjoy a soak and if you look at it like an adventure, perhaps being airlifted out of the jungle or zip lining down a mountain, the aesthetic could appeal if having a soak is that important.

Wet Room or Barrier Free Shower

This option is stylish and functional.  Really just a giant shower with all the amenities.  These spaces can be equipped with as many spray nozzles, steam fittings, shower heads, handhelds and even bathtubs you can imagine.  Some design magazines show entire bathrooms with no shower enclosure at all which probably means wet toilet seats and soap scum everywhere, not to mention drafts.  Some sort of barrier to keep spray from the rest of the room seems only common sense.  For ease of use, easy maintenance and serious style there is nothing like a smooth transition without any lip.  The room flows aesthetically and as a bonus tripping hazards and barriers are removed so a wheel chair or other assistive device could be used.  Built-in benches make it comfortable and grab bars can be installed where they are needed.  With variable height shower heads and handheld options these rooms can be used by just about everyone and they can be simple or luxurious depending on your needs and budget.

Bathrooms 2 Go will be introducing our Wet Room Package in early 2018!!! So stay tuned.

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