Shower for an older person

shnaek

Hi all -

My dad is nearly 88 and he has a bath-shower. I keep telling him that he might be better off removing the bath and putting in an accessible walk in shower with a seat. He's having none of it! But I think long term it would be the best option. What are your thoughts, and how much would you expect to pay, roughly, to make this change? He lives in the midlands.

Thanks

missfarmer

I'd recommend that you get an Occupational Therapist to assess his ability to get in and out of the bath. If they recommend using a shower they can guide you in the right direction.

The Mighty Quinn

Costs are a very difficult one to quantify really, depends on any number of factors.

Last year in our small semi-d bathroom, we removed the bath, put in a long walk-in shower tray, tiled the floor, walls, new glass screen at shower, new toilet, sink, mirror and radiator. It came to €6,200.

What you're talking about doing isn't much less of a job than that, you'd still need to rip out what's there, buy a shower tray, possible a new shower unit, put in new flooring, tile the walls etc. I'd be surprised if you got it for less than €3-4K if you're paying tradesmen to do it.

Gregor Samsa

Elderly people are often very reluctant to make or accept changes that are a result of their advancing years or frailty. That said, getting in and out of a bath in order to use the shower could be both difficult and dangerous for someone in that position. So replacing the bath with a shower could be a very good idea. My mother did it vey many years ago - took out the bath and put in a large shower cubicle, and she got a special fold out-seat fitted to the wall, so that she could sit down in the shower if she wanted. Or it could be folded out of the way for anyone who wanted to stand.

You mentioned "accessible walk in shower", so maybe you're thinking of more of a wet room, which would be even more accessible than a regular shower, in that there's no lip or door to content with, and one could use a frame or a wheeled seat to get in and out of it. Also have a think about the location of the shower. One might also think about the location of the shower - my MIL had an accessible shower fitted down stairs after some medical mobility issues she suffered. They passed, so she doesn't use it at the moment, but it's there in case she gets to the point of finding the stairs difficult again.

As mentioned above, an Occupational Therapist could make suggestions and recommendations, but even without that, it's a good thing to be thinking about.

If he's like my Dad was - and is very independent (read: stubborn) - then he might not like the idea of having his bathroom remodeled at all. Maybe some more simple aids would help - a handle on the wall in the bath, good non-slip mats or surfacing in the bath and on the floor. At least in the interim.

Sorry, I've no idea of the costs of these things, but you're right to be thinking of them. Best of luck!

phog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058221435/shower-for-an-older-person

I've just done this and maybe a bit more, we removed all the existing items and replaced it with new walk in tiled shower, new comfort toilet, wash hand basin/unit and a towel rad. 3 walls got new water resistant slabs, timber floor was rescrewed and laid with a fibreglass base then sealed. 4 walls tiled & floor tiled - cost €8000

Getting him to accept the change is the hard part - as already mentioned try the occupational therapist route or maybe a family member or friend that has done similar in their home.

niallb

I'm about to do this for my own dad. He was 90 in September.

We got an occupational therapist in like suggested above to take a look to see where we might make changes. Very worthwhile visit and I'd highly recommend it.

I'd never realised there was a 20cm lip on his shower tray because some muppet 20 years ago didn't want to cut the outlet in below the floor.

Unfortunately it's upstairs so a walk in shower and sealing a fiberglass base in to the bathroom is not likely to be a good plan as it's not a solid floor.

Our plumber says he can route the pipes under the floor to get the level down and fit a shallow tray,and then we'l need to refinish the tiles to the new floor level and put in a new cubicle. Haven't got a price on it yet as they're flat out and unavailable until after Christmas.

Wanderer78

this is a tough one op, aging is a very difficult one for most of us to accept, men in particular, but women to do struggle with this one to, get as much advice as possible, on how to approach it with him, but a more accessible shower certainly is the way to go. best of luck

shnaek

Huge thanks to all of you for that advice - it's definitely something I am going to look into - I don't want to regret not doing it afterwards. And thanks also for the tip about the occupational therapist. I'm going to have to put my persuasion skills to the test :)

thesimpsons

I did this for my elderly father too. He was having none of it until my mum told him it was a new shower and a chairlift or he'd end up in a nursing home as she wouldn't be able to mind him. He agreed very easily after that. He just didn't want to admit he was getting on in age, who does, but its been a real help having it there now. The Occupational therapist gave some good ideas too on other aids the house. There are some grants/financial assistance available too for medical need items so its possible something you can look into to have bring the costs down. The OT can advise you on that too.

After doing the bathroom for the parents, I went ahead and did the same in my own house. We never used the bath in over 20 years and a walk in shower is easily one of the best things we've done in the house.

Best of luck

shnaek

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118353426#Comment_118353426

Thanks! I've started talking with him about it, planting the idea. I'll leave him off for Christmas and I'll start again in the new year. I think if he did it he'd be delighted with it.

Caledonia

If he’s just on the state pension he can get a very good grant towards it. Income up to 60k can get something. Under 30k excellent grant. It’s called the Housing Adaptation Grant. Don’t need an OT for grant as it’s a standard bathroom conversion. Check with what ever local authority he’s in.

shnaek

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118419741#Comment_118419741

Thank you, that's great to know!

Melodeon

On the strong recommendation of a paramedic relative, we built an en-suite accessible downstairs wet room/bathroom a few years ago when we were doing a biggish refurb on the whole house. Our elderly mother fell and cracked her pelvis in early March 2020, 'just' at the very beginning of the pandemic, and the ready-to-go accessible bathroom made it possible for us to bring her home immediately on discharge from hospital instead of having to try to find a place for her in a nursing home for her recovery. Subsequent events in nursing homes regarding CoVid made us count every cent spent on the work as money extraordinarily well spent!

A few points to perhaps consider, based on our use of a wet room by a semi-invalid:

Make sure the walls are structurally sound enough to securely mount grab rails. Everywhere! There WILL be one needed somewhere unforeseen.

Make the space big enough to comfortably turn and manoeuvre a wheelchair/transit chair/walking aid.

Make the space big enough for an assistant to be able to properly 'assist' without having to climb around/over the person being assisted.

Make the door wide enough, and opening outwards (or sliding!), for easier wheelchair access.

Wall-mount the hand basin, with NO vanity cabinet or shelving underneath, at a height that a person in a wheelchair or transit chair can use it properly.

Fit a comfort (tall) toilet, or at least a conventionally shaped one that can be fitted with a height extension.

Put a 'landing strip' in the tiling or floor covering at the toilet: a distinct line pointing directly at the centre of the bowl, so that a person with reduced mobility who can't twist or turn themselves to watch where they're going can reverse in 'blind' with confidence!

If fitting a radiator, mount it high and out of reach so that it doesn't become an impromptu hand rail or a burn hazard if someone gets stuck beside it. Underfloor heating would be best.

Flat floors everywhere: no door saddles, steps, etc.

Best of luck with your project; as I said before, we consider the money spent on our job to be probably the best investment we've ever made to the house.

shnaek

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118432927#Comment_118432927

Brilliant advice, thank you!