When an appliance or facility or tool can be described as useful, it is usually something that has a definite job to do and makes our lives easier by using it. In the case of handicap bathtubs, they are extremely useful if you are a person with disabilities or mobility issues and find using a regular bathtub difficult, uncomfortable of downright dangerous.
Safety is a key factor in the reason many people with disabilities have a handicap bathtub installed in their home. While is it usually possible to take a bath in a regular tub, it is rarely and enjoyable experience, when really, taking a bath should be. The main reasons which devalue the experience of using a regular tub is that in many cases, because of the safety issues a helper is needed at bath times and while the help is often gratefully received, it still takes away that aspect of privacy, intimacy and dignity that ought to accompany the taking of a bath.
Make way for the handicap version of the bathtub and straight away, you can, in most cases, do away with the need to have someone present when you take a bath. The design is different in several key areas that make it possible even for wheelchair users to take a bath unaided. the secret to their usability lies in the fact that they still provide the means to fully immerse in hot water, but instead of having to climb over a high, slippery side and lay down in a bath, you enter through a door in the high side wall and take a bath in a seated position.
This means that there is no danger of sliding beneath the surface of the water as there is if you are laying down and your legs maybe can’t stop you from sliding. You transfer from a wheelchair through the door onto a seat with grab rails so you essentially are as safe as you are in the wheelchair. The door is then closed and the bath filled with water at the temperature you like and you can enjoy the feeling of being fully immersed. When finished, simply drain the water, open the door and transfer back to the wheelchair.
There are no slippery surfaces to worry about, no sides to clamber over and no chance to slide under the water, so a helper is often not needed, meaning you can take your bath in privacy, enjoy its benefits and do it all with dignity!
This is a really good read for me, as I suffer with limited mobility and need help in taking a bath. I don’t have one of those fancy handicap bathtubs but after reading your article, I think its time to invest in one for my sanity. Thanks for posting this informative article.