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Hi everyone, I am not a care giver or a spouse...but I am a sister. My brother was involved in a motorcycle accident on november 6, 2005...resulting in a T3 injury my brother is 26 years old and he and his wife just made their one year anniversary on thanksgiving, the holidays were extremely rough this year... he is home now and is still wearing a brace that surounds his head and his upper body... he has found it difficult to manuever in the bathroom to take a shower, and because his injuries are still healing sitting up without the brace is very painful for him...they even tried to use a handi-cap bathroom at a hotel, but that didnt go over well either...any suggestions??....
thanks
::tiffany::
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Baithing Suggestions
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#2
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Posted 31 January 2006 - 06:40 PM
Tiffany,
I'm sorry to hear about your brother. Bathrooms are tough, we had to gut ours and make a new shower and rip out the counter so my husband could get his legs under to reach the sink. The best investment we made was going to Home Depot and buying one of those extention shower heads, a chair and hand rails so he could start being a little more independent.
Kristi
I'm sorry to hear about your brother. Bathrooms are tough, we had to gut ours and make a new shower and rip out the counter so my husband could get his legs under to reach the sink. The best investment we made was going to Home Depot and buying one of those extention shower heads, a chair and hand rails so he could start being a little more independent.
Kristi
#3
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Posted 01 February 2006 - 01:50 AM
Hi tiffany.... 
The most basic immediate needs would be a suitable shower chair, evaluated on his strengths and level of injury, a wall-mounted, hand-held shower head, and grab bars. If he hasn't had his home evaluated by a therapist, I suggest having that done. Their input is invaluable, because your brother is only about three mo. out, and may not even know what he needs or what questions to ask yet.
The bathroom is the 'biggie' after a SCI. It takes lots of practice and building confidence to find your own comfort zone in what used to be a non-eventful part of the day. I remember the first shower I took after coming home from rehab. It was this huge production, and I was scared
-less. Now, it's become just another non-eventful part of my day. 
Over time and with practice, he'll be able to develop a good method for himself.
Hotel/motel accessible bathrooms don't work well for me either. Most of that is due to the grab bars not being where I need them to be, making it awkward, scary, to make my transfers in and out of the shower. I'm not sure if that's what you mean when you said that he has found it difficult to manuever in the bathroom. Or is his pain the predominant factor in having difficulties in the shower process?
If you could be more specific in what areas he's having difficulties with?
The most basic immediate needs would be a suitable shower chair, evaluated on his strengths and level of injury, a wall-mounted, hand-held shower head, and grab bars. If he hasn't had his home evaluated by a therapist, I suggest having that done. Their input is invaluable, because your brother is only about three mo. out, and may not even know what he needs or what questions to ask yet.
The bathroom is the 'biggie' after a SCI. It takes lots of practice and building confidence to find your own comfort zone in what used to be a non-eventful part of the day. I remember the first shower I took after coming home from rehab. It was this huge production, and I was scared
-less. Now, it's become just another non-eventful part of my day. Over time and with practice, he'll be able to develop a good method for himself.Hotel/motel accessible bathrooms don't work well for me either. Most of that is due to the grab bars not being where I need them to be, making it awkward, scary, to make my transfers in and out of the shower. I'm not sure if that's what you mean when you said that he has found it difficult to manuever in the bathroom. Or is his pain the predominant factor in having difficulties in the shower process?
If you could be more specific in what areas he's having difficulties with?
* * * * * * * * *
Female. Incomplete para following a cord stroke in '03. Spina-bifida, severe scoliosis. 18 surgeries total...five spine-related: Three fusions w/hardware, two tethered cord releases.
Female. Incomplete para following a cord stroke in '03. Spina-bifida, severe scoliosis. 18 surgeries total...five spine-related: Three fusions w/hardware, two tethered cord releases.
#4
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Posted 01 February 2006 - 02:49 AM
My husband still doesn't have a shower. We just do bed baths. I fill up a tub (like the ones they give you in the hospital) with bath gel and warm water. Then, he just sipes himself down. We also have some cleansing foam (aloe vesta no rinse) that he will squirt on the hard to clean areas.
#5
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Posted 01 February 2006 - 02:50 AM
By the way, we have done this for 15 months now and he still doesn't stink!!! 
#6
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Posted 01 February 2006 - 05:37 PM
We do the bed bath thing at home also. It's been almost 2 years. We do go to a hotel every few months so she can take a shower.
They sell a Rubbermaid tub with cut outs at the bottom that holds 350 lbs. at the tractor supply company. They are building one in our area. When it is complete I will go over and see if the legs of the lift will fit into these cut outs and if so then I may purchase the tub and bring it home so she could take baths in the living room. Multiple boat cushions inside for her butt and she should be good to go for a real bath.
I'm crossing my fingers.
They sell a Rubbermaid tub with cut outs at the bottom that holds 350 lbs. at the tractor supply company. They are building one in our area. When it is complete I will go over and see if the legs of the lift will fit into these cut outs and if so then I may purchase the tub and bring it home so she could take baths in the living room. Multiple boat cushions inside for her butt and she should be good to go for a real bath.
I'm crossing my fingers.
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