16 replies to this topic

[Tremulous Tetra]

I want an accessible bathroom, but I don't want an institutional bathroom.

Does anybody have any ideas? What I am looking for in short, is a mechanism that will elevate and lower a bathtub full of water.

Having written that, I suppose the problem is, electrics in a bathroom.

I ask on here, because you people seem good at working your way round problems.

[tmcph]

i did an overhead lift that takes me from my bedroom straight to the shower, it works great & i didn't have to change the bathroom

[edlee]

Tremulous Tetra, on 12 January 2011 - 06:35 PM, said:

I want an accessible bathroom, but I don't want an institutional bathroom.

Does anybody have any ideas? What I am looking for in short, is a mechanism that will elevate and lower a bathtub full of water.

Having written that, I suppose the problem is, electrics in a bathroom.

I ask on here, because you people seem good at working your way round problems.

Why on earth would you wanrt a bathtub that goes up and down? I can't quite get what the question is, here. The only reall accessability problem with most bathrooms relates to size. Being able to get in, turn around , get close to the "facilities", and to get out. There are lots of companies selling the individual parts in an amazing variety of finishes.

It comes down ro,, I guess... what you consider an "institutional" bathroom.
ed

[Tremulous Tetra]

I have aksed this question in several forums, and people were there too, a little bit mystified as to my objectives, and why. So I repeat what I said there, here;



Okay, okay, okay. The issue is, health and safety.

Workers health and safety. I need a bath to be at the correct height for the workers to not hurt their back.

My health and safety. The bath must be low enough for me to be able to access using a hoist.

Even using a ceiling tracking hoist, never the twain shall meet. However, at the moment, I only have a portable hoist. There is my dilemma. How do I satisfy, a bath low enough for me to get in using a portable hoist, which is high enough so the workers don't have to bend their backs whilst helping me in the bath?

It is not a particularly novel idea, just particularly expensive, when the leeches of the medical industry get their hands on the idea. £6000
http://www.arjo.com/...tCategory_Id=84

not only that, they inevitably look God dam ugly.

-----------------------------

For example, if you look here, you will see some pictures of the institutionalised monstrosities they produce, that cost an absolute fortune.
http://www.gainsboro.../pr_malvern.php
Here is my solution, not particularly the most beautiful thing, but it does the job, without the raising, and looks reasonably like a normal bathroom .


Now,a car trolley jack would easily lift that bath full of water. Flexible connections to the taps. Flexible, connections to the drainage. The problem is, stability.

Now if you had some of those aluminium runner, like you have in the car,  to bolt your wheelchair down. Revise them so that,the locking clamp slides up and down the runner, but has no holes through which to come out, then you would create two locking points to the wall, which could slide up and down, but not be able to pull away from the wall.

or perhaps something like this would be better. http://www.motorcyclelift.cc/

I don't know, I am thinking this problem out loud, for constructive criticism.

ps.
"electrics at less than say 48v are not a problem in a bathroom or even under water. And hydralics are obviously totally immune too. But why?"

Let's say the average bath has 90 L of water
http://www.articlesb...-bath-use-14917

A litre of water ways 1 kilogram (2.205 lbs.)
http://wiki.answers...._of_water_weigh

That's 90 kg of water. let's say the bath weighs 100 kg, No way, but let's just say.

Motorcycle lift will take between 150, and 450 kg.

Edited by Tremulous Tetra, 13 January 2011 - 09:20 PM.

[edlee]

As I see it,, your main concern is for those who have to help you while you are in the tub. Perhaps if you take it from that angle it might be easier.

First, your hoist gets you in and out of a conventional tub,, am I correct? Those helping you ,, if using this tub,,, would need to kneel alongside to aide you,, as bending is obviously a silly approach. So if the one helping had something to lean their chest against,, at just below armpit height,, while they kneeled beside the tub,, they would be able to both aide you in whatever you needed,,and do it without danger to themselves or you.

So my thought is for a removable bar to be mounted at the edge of the tub and at the height noted above,, coupled with good quality knee pads ,, and your problem is solved,, spending considerably less money,, and with the added danger of broken plumbing taken out of the equation.

The old expression about cat skinning comes in here.
ed

[LeahC]

Can you transfer yourself? I have an Archimedes bath chair see that goes up and down, goes higher than the bath too.

[WC_Sage]

Tremulous Tetra:

Would some version of a more accessible tub - something like these tubs - be useful to you?

[Tremulous Tetra]

edlee, on 13 January 2011 - 09:38 PM, said:

As I see it,, your main concern is for those who have to help you while you are in the tub. Perhaps if you take it from that angle it might be easier.

First, your hoist gets you in and out of a conventional tub,, am I correct? Those helping you ,, if using this tub,,, would need to kneel alongside to aide you,, as bending is obviously a silly approach. So if the one helping had something to lean their chest against,, at just below armpit height,, while they kneeled beside the tub,, they would be able to both aide you in whatever you needed,,and do it without danger to themselves or you.

So my thought is for a removable bar to be mounted at the edge of the tub and at the height noted above,, coupled with good quality knee pads ,, and your problem is solved,, spending considerably less money,, and with the added danger of broken plumbing taken out of the equation.

The old expression about cat skinning comes in here.
ed

yes, that's the way we have worked for the past eight years, but it is against health and safety rules now kneeling.

LeahC, on 13 January 2011 - 09:48 PM, said:

Can you transfer yourself? I have an Archimedes bath chair see that goes up and down, goes higher than the bath too.

WC_Sage, on 14 January 2011 - 02:31 AM, said:

Tremulous Tetra:

Would some version of a more accessible tub - something like these tubs - be useful to you?

know I am afraid not friends, I am not able to transfer without the use of a hoist.

[greybeard]

Tremulous Tetra, on 14 January 2011 - 04:49 PM, said:

yes, that's the way we have worked for the past eight years, but it is against health and safety rules now kneeling.

It sounds to me as though someone's being difficult. Where are you located? And what health and safety rules are you referring to (legislation?)?

[edlee]

I agree, GB,, that sounded kinda hinky to me, too. As long as proper gear is provided,,ie... pads,, ,, the position from which one works shouldn't be legislated. If kneeling isn't allowed,, is standing and bending over any worse? What's next?? It seem the more government tries to help,, the more things get mucked up.

I'm curious, too,,,where are you living TT? And who says kneeling isn't allowed? I am having trouble geting my head around this,,, but,, then,, I have that trouble with a lot of things, of late.
ed

[qbounce]

In NEW MOBILITY magazine they often have a bathtub seat advertised that raises and lowers you mechanically into the water. It goes as high as 19 inches and as low as 2 inches. I couldn't find the add, but you might consider searching the internet for it if interested. Building a bathtub higher on a raised foundation isn't unheard of. Then with the raised foundation, your hoist and the mechanical bathtub seat, you're going to have the James Bond of bathtubs.

[guido]

Not sure I get this one either. I've been raised and lowered (albeit for an entirely different purpose) from quite high to floor level. For sure hoists go up and down as far as you need them to - we're only talking a piece of string (or strap), no?

[edlee]

As I understand it, Guido,, the reason for the raising and lowering is for the protection of the carers,, not TT. Apparantly there is a regulation that doesn't allow them to kneel down beside the tub to aide him in the bath,,,, or bend over, for that matter. Here in the US we have the Occupatioal Safety and Health Administration to look after such things. I asked a friend,, who happens to be an OSHA inspector,, if we had such a restriction, here. He was unable to answer for a while,, but when he finally calmed down, he said,,,, well,, the short,, and more polite,, answer was "no". I was shocked. It's a sad state of affairs when an employer can force an employee to kneel down to perform his job,,,, or,, heaven forbid,,,,, bend over.

Well.. as I told him,,, not everyone has such an enlightened society to live in.
ed

[S&W Winger]

A Hoyer Lift has fixed arms that do not bend, and only go in a forward fashion...and most tubs are solid at the bottom...and low...if you will look at the pics provided by TT, the cut-outs that would be necessary, then perhaps you would understand...

Q's solution would work best...

Best wishes, TT! Enjoy your bath...

Here are links:

http://aquassure.com/wp/

http://www.gfmstepnb...-model 3060.htm

Edited by S&W Winger, 22 January 2011 - 10:36 AM.

[xxm]

Tremulous Tetra, on 14 January 2011 - 04:49 PM, said:

know I am afraid not friends, I am not able to transfer without the use of a hoist.

Tetra,

If you always use a hoist I don't understand why you need to move your tube up and down.
You only need a tube that is high enough for the careres and a higher hoist to lift you.

Rudy

Edited by xxm, 22 January 2011 - 10:30 AM.

[mephibosheth]

At the risk of sounding flippant, why not just cut out a trough beside the tub, deep enough for a carer to stand in, putting them at the correct height? You could create it able to hold a wooden cover board while you transfer, then open it for the carer during a bath. No?

[wriggley]

hmm been thinking about this one all morning. what about a bench that goes up and down that sits in the bath. essentially it acts like a giant collander with you on it. we used to have one in the pool i worked in for people to have showers on in a prone position. ie your hoist would set you down on it at one of the higher levels lower you down into the water for a bit of soak then bring yu back up so your just in the top of the water while carers do what they need to do.

just a thought