When caring for elderly people or those who are confined to a hospital or any other health care facility, there are plenty of aids that can help with showering and toileting. These aids are particularly useful if patients have mobility issues or are recovering from surgery.
Showering Aids
Patients who are recovering from surgery often need assistance while showering. The same applies to elderly patients who may be unsteady on their feet or who are unable to stand for very long.
Showering aids such as stools and shower chairs can, for some patients, allow them to take a shower on their own and in privacy. This is really important as it provides a level of independence and offers the patient a degree of dignity while showering. In other cases, it can allow for a carer to assist in the showering process whilst the patient is supported and comfortable.
For patients who are not overly mobile, there are other bathroom aids available for carers to make bathing the patient as easy and safe as possible. These include bathboards that assist patients to feel secure while in the bathtub by providing a safe and stable seating area and an easy transfer from a wheelchair or commode.
In addition, there are mobile shower commodes. These can be used to transfer the patient into the shower and provide complete safety and stability while the carer assists with the showering process.
Toileting Aids
For elderly patients and those with mobility issues, using a regular toilet can be difficult. For this reason, there are numerous over-the-toilet aids that can be used.
These range from simple over toilet aids, that go over the actual toilet, to more complete solutions like bedside commodes where the patient doesn’t have to leave the hospital room to walk or be wheeled to the toilet. These are particularly useful for elderly patients who are unable to walk to the toilet on their own and in busy hospitals and aged care facilities where staff are not always readily available when needed.
In addition, there are also adjustable toilet surrounds that provide assistance for patients who are still fairly mobile but have trouble getting up from or down onto the toilet. Having that extra level of assistance can make all the difference to a person’s independence.
In situations where the patient is not able to visit the toilet, especially at night, there are also bed pans and urine bottles that can easily be used in the hospital room or in the rooms of aged care facilities. These are fairly simple to use while sitting on the edge of the bed and can offer patients a degree of independence as well.
Transfer Aids
Bath transfer benches are mainly used in people’s homes where they have a bathtub. They provide a stable seating platform while bathing. Many of these have moulded plastic or padded seats for added comfort as well as non-slip suction feet for complete stability.
Some also have integrated grab rails to make it easier for transferring the patients from a wheelchair onto the bathing seat. Most of these also have a backrest that is height adjustable to offer an extra degree of comfort for the patient.
In Summary
For people who are caring for elderly or hospital patients, there are numerous aids available to make showering and toileting as comfortable and safe as possible while still considering the dignity of the patient and the safety of the carer.
FAQs
We always recommend seeking the advice of a suitably qualified healthcare professional such as an Occupational Therapist prior to purchasing any aids. This is because each user has unique needs based on their personal circumstances. However, in general you might consider choosing an over-toilet aid based on toilet dimensions, user mobility, seat height preferences, and whether armrests are needed.
The safest shower chair will be the one recommended to you by a suitably qualified healthcare professional such as an Occupational Therapist. Typically, to ensure safety look for quality construction, non-slip feet, drainage holes, supportive armrests, and height adjustability.
A commode chair can be used for toileting; a shower chair is designed only for wet-area use.
Measure seat height and width, ensuring the frame will fit securely around the bowl. Ensure you also measure the back of the toilet and cistern area to make sure there is adequate depth. It is also important to consider the space around the toilet to allow for the over-toilet frame to easily be situated and moved for cleaning when needed.
Bathrooms are inherently hazardous due to their hard surfaces, tight spaces and wet areas. It is possible to reduce the risk of slips by installing grab rails, using non-slip mats, and ensuring chairs and frames are adjusted correctly. It is always strongly recommended to seek the advice of a suitably qualified healthcare professional such as an Occupational Therapist prior to purchasing any aids. Often, they can come to your home to assess your bathroom and advise on the correct items for your situation.