How to choose an easy access bath

How do you know which easy access bath is suitable for your specific care needs?

This is a question that we are often asked by families looking to adapt their bathroom and care professionals who are specifying equipment for a client with complex disabilities.

To make that decision easier, we have a guide with our partners, TR Equipment, to help pinpoint which bath will be best suited to your environment and care requirements.

 

Domestic Accessible Baths

 

When it comes to thinking about an easy access bath for your home, there are a number of considerations.

Whether it is looking at the size and shape, so it fits into an existing space, to standard and optional features so it helps deliver a safe and comfortable bathing experience, you want to ensure your tub meets your specific needs.

Getting in and out of an ordinary bath can be challenging at the best of times for the elderly or those with complex care needs. To help make daily bathing routines more accessible, they require a tub that is functional but not too clinical for their home.

Luckily, there are a couple of options that can bring the best of both worlds.

The two most common solutions are assisted baths or walk-in baths. A walk-in bath, tends to have a low threshold and wide door for easy access, and usually feature grab bars for added safety.

Assisted baths are often chosen for those with disability who require carer support, as they include height-adjustability that enables an individual to be transferred into the tub via a hoist or shower trolley.

 

Recommended Bath for Domestic – TR 1700

 

For those who have a bathroom that has limited space, the TR 1700 is the perfect solution.

 

Designed for pediatric use, the TR 1700 is a height-adjustable easy access bath. Not only does it optimise smaller spaces without impacting on function, it also delivers flexibility with different colour combinations for the side panels and feet, helping to suit individual style preferences.

Flexibility is also provided by the tub’s height adjustability, which can be controlled on either side of the tub, enabling families and carers to use different types of hoists that they may already have at home.

The bath raises and lowers to find the ideal working height for the carer, reducing heavy lifting and bending, to minimise risk of back injury.

To help those at home feel even safer, the TR 1700 has adjustable feet that increase stability, even if there are uneven floor surfaces.

 

Specialist Domestic Assisted Bath Products

 

In cases where individuals require constant care support in their home, bathtubs that include more advanced features may be needed.

Similar in style to the TR 1700, specialist assisted baths combine sleek and contemporary design with more sophisticated sensory options.

 

LED lights, speakers and air jets are just some of those sensory features that you will often find, helping deliver a more comfortable and therapeutic experience for individuals, especially for those with complex conditions.

 

Recommended Specialist Assisted Bath for Domestic – TR Comfortline

 

For those looking for a stylish bathtub that can accommodate a variety of care needs, the TR Comfortline is a wise choice.

Just like the TR 1700, the Comfortline is an easy access, height-adjustable bathtub designed for a relaxing bathing experience. However, where they differ is the range of sensory and safety options available that make the Comfortline a perfect fit for those with complex needs.

The Comfortline has a whole host of sensory and wellness options, ranging from an air spa with twelve integrated jets to stimulate blood circulation relaxation.

 

In addition, there is an LED Colour Light System feature that enables the water to change into different colours, and a music sound wave system with four speakers to give a complete sensory experience.

Safety is also an area where the Comfortline comes to the fore, with options to support both the end user and carer.

Features such as a cleaning/disinfection system and an autofill with 2 different pre-set levels ensures the water is not only chemically safe, but the depth and temperature is set at a safe level.

 

Baths for Multi-User Care Environments

 

So far we’ve seen which assisted baths are best suited for your home. We’ll now look at the options that meet the varying needs of multi-user environments such as hospitals, hospices and SEN Schools.

In a professional care setting, you’ll find that assisted baths tend to be much larger in size and far more technical in their operation. They are designed with a pure focus on making assisted bathing as safe and comfortable as possible for the individual and carer.

 

You’ll often find that cocoon and keyhole baths are common in this space, as their wider design creates more space for an individual in the tub and they can be fully supported by the bath contours.

The way these tubs are shaped allows an individual to immerse deeper into the bath, providing a more comfortable experience, as well as giving more working space for care workers.

These baths are also acutely focused on safety, with autofill settings, cleaning cycles and digital thermometer to ensure the water in the bath meets guidelines for cleanliness, depth and temperature.

 

Recommended Assisted Bath for Professional Care Settings – TR 900

 

Assisted bathing should be as relaxing as possible, especially in a professional care setting.

With the TR 900, its integrated bathtub and panel design makes assisted bathing stress-free for caregivers and patients.

Available in a number of variations, including Whirlpool and Autofill, the TR 900 has a number of features that make it perfect for meeting different care needs whilst delivering a calming experience.

For instance, its extra width at the head end of the bathtub creates more space for arms and shoulders, making it easier to bath the end user. A digital LED thermometer shows the shower and bathtub filling and still water temperature, enhancing patient safety.

With the Whirlpool models, they enable the caregiver to regulate both the air jet direction and the quantity of air that comes out, enabling it to be adjusted to suit the patient’s comfort levels.

For those who require further infection control features with their easy access bath, all the TR 900 HiLo panels can be delivered with a stainless steel bathtub as an option, making it easy to clean.

 

Summary

 

Finding the right easy access bath for your needs and care environment can be tricky. Just like a hydrotherapy pool, a one size fits all approach doesn’t quite cut it.

Whether you are trying to provide inclusive bathing solutions that are suitable for a home or a hospital, it is important to think about what is required for both the individual who uses the equipment, and the caregiver.

Using this blog, we’ve picked out a couple of baths that meet different care requirements and environments. For those that need a contemporary accessible bath for their home, a TR 1700 fits the bill.

In the case of hospitals, hospices and SEN Schools, a more sophisticated bathtub like a TR 900 is a more appropriate choice.