Showers For Handicapped Persons
Many people take showers for handicapped persons for granted. However, not everyone would be able to get into your shower stall and withstand the minutes of standing while enjoying a refreshing shower.
Even though a standard shower is ideal for nearly all bathrooms, it might not be accessible to everyone. Thankfully, there are many options for people looking to make their bathrooms handicap-friendly and enjoy a freshening bath.
The idea of handicapped bathrooms & showers will not only benefit your household but can a long way in keeping your guests safe. Not to mention, this idea can also benefit hotels and guest houses. If you’re planning to incorporate showers for handicapped persons in your bathroom, there’s pretty much to consider.
Ready to learn more? Let’s explore some of the available shower options for handicapped person shower.
Shower Options For Handicapped Persons
There are three types of common showers: walk-in shower, over the bath shower, or as part of a wet room. When it comes to choosing your perfect choice of shower, there are many factors to consider. They include the following:
- Your physical abilities: Whether you can lift your legs and how long you can stand. It would also be best if you considered the far you can reach so that you can know where exactly to position the controls.
- Your bathroom’s size: This dictates the space available for your handicapped shower.
- The projected cost: When it comes to installing a handicapped shower, an over-bath shower is always the most cost-effective option, while a wet room set-up is always the most expensive.
- The degree of disruption: The degree of disruption should also be a concern when setting up showers for handicapped persons. As such, installing an over-bath shower requires little disruption compared to a wet room or cubicle shower that requires a little more disruption during the fitting phase.
When thinking about installing showers for handicapped persons, planning for long-term use goes a long way in ensuring safety and comfort for more than a decade. For instance, if you are strong enough to climb into your bath and your health seems to be deteriorating from time to time, will you be able to still climb into the bath on your own ten years from now? Having that question in mind, you will avoid installing a shower that will require a replacement in the future.
Essential Shower Equipment For The Disabled
The level of disability varies from one person to another. For instance, you might be comfortable climbing into your bath, but you can endure many minutes of standing while taking your shower. In such a case, a simple shower board can make a big difference.
The board can be fitted at the top of the bath, allowing you to sit comfortably while taking your shower. You can also add a swivel seat to allow for effortless transfer into and out of your handicapped bathroom. The grab rails are also essential to help you move around and stay on foot securely. Below is essential equipment that would make showers for handicapped persons safe and comfortable.
- Shower Cubicle
Shower seats are very crucial when it comes to remodeling for handicap accessibility. When planning for a shower cubicle, you should consider shower seats that can be placed on the floor space below the shower. Alternatively, you can install a pull-down seat fixed onto the wall. You will also need a shower curtain or a fixed screen to prevent water from spilling on the bathroom floor around.
Making the floor around wet can lead to a slip and fall hazard. Besides that, you should consider if there will be a step into your shower cubicle and if it will be manageable for you in the future.
Pro-tip takeaway: Even if you can manage to climb onto the step in the future, grab rails can be an invaluable addition.
- Wet Rooms
A wet room is one of the accessible bathrooms that could be ideal for handicapped persons. The entire bathroom is converted to have a flat, waterproof, and slip-resistant surface ideal for people with mobility difficulties and wheelchair users in terms of design.
To enhance privacy, you can purchase a portable shower screen to prevent being seen while taking a shower. Some people might also look into fixing a hoist, while others will bathe with their caregivers’ assistance. Even though a wet room shower involves a lot of work initially, it provides an ample space where persons with disabilities can safely shower.
Pro-tip takeaway: Add a specialist wheelchair or shower chair into the shower portion, allowing for simple and seamless accessibility by the disabled.
- Handicapped Shower Facilities— What to Consider
When choosing a handicapped shower facility, there’s much that could come into your mind. But the bottom line is making your shower accessible by all walks of life and providing comfort to all your guests.
Even though adding facilities for the handicapped might seem an extract cost, it’s worth investing in. Also, the cost for each type of handicap-accessible bathroom varies largely from wet rooms, shower cubicles to ample roll-in bathrooms.
The cost of your shower for handicapped persons will depend on the facilities installed. Typically, installing handicapped shower cubicles is less costly and requires fewer modifications than wet rooms. As such, you should make your decision based on your needs, the available bathroom space, and your budget.
Start Your Project Today!
Want to start your project today? We have what it takes to make your project the most successful of all. Whether you want your handicapped bathroom designed and built or modify the existing bathroom, we’re the team to get your project perfectly done.
Contact us today for seamless and secure handicapped bathroom services.
