Difficulty to use upstairs toilet

[Minah]

I know it could be bit odd to discuss but it’s a reality and as a patient of arthritis cannot escape from the reality that yes I need some advise or experiences that how to manage when you unable to use stairs and you have only one toilet & bath upstairs and your budget also not allow you to spend amount to bring changes .My second question is how about to build a toilet in backyard so you could avoid to rush upstairs and harm yourself .Any idea about its cost and do it needs s permission from council .

[vonniesims]

Would a stair lift not be cheaper than building a toilet.?If you had a lift you could use a commode and just use it to empty the bucket on occasions.

Or a camping toilet.

[Minah in reply to vonniesims]

And what if I call council or any Hepline contacts to discuss about this issue

[vonniesims in reply to Minah]

Occupational therapy used to arrange for aids in the home. Think you would have to go through the council and it may be a long wait

[Hidden]

You can apply for a ‘Disabled Facilities Grant’ from your council to help with accommodations. Check their webpage for criteria etc.

If you are a home owner, it may be worth considering moving to a one level flat or bungalow.

Or as vonniesims had suggested; get a cammode and a chair lift. Again you may get a grant for this.

[rabbits65]

when I lived in my house I bought a second hand stairlift . They work well. Now I live at the coast in a bungalow , but stairlifts work brilliantly.

[Minah]

Any website to avail this option

[rabbits65]

type in stairlifts there will be various sites

[Minah]

yes I have started searching now but just want someone’s personal experience about it thankyou

[Sheila_G]

I know you won't want to do this but I have a friend who now has a commode downstairs. It just looks like a normal chair. I wondered if you could get one through occupational health or some such place. It might be worth doing some research.

[Minah]

yes there are portable commodes in market as many years ago my own grandma used in emergency but what about washing hands without basins is quite unacceptable.without properly washing hands quite impossible to cook

[Hidden in reply to Minah]

kitchen sink; just get some anti-bac handwash

[Hidden]

I have a stairlift which is great. Also the O.T have provided me with 2comodes, one for upstairs & one for down. For washing my hands afterwards I either use the kitchen sink or baby wipes.

[Minah in reply to Hidden]

Thankyou in the meantime I donor able to have a proper solution I will try to follow all the value able advised from all of you

[oldtimer2]

There's an explanation here (but don't get a loan without detailed advice). bathingsolutions.co.uk/blog...

The website from the government is not as reader friendly: gov.uk/disabled-facilities-...

If you have an under-stairs cupboard or can block off some of the entranceway....

In the meantime what about a portable urinal for peeing? I use one that squashes up but there's one on here: completecareshop.co.uk/

As long as you rinse it away well you can pour it down the kitchen sink (I use Milton disinfectant, worked well when I had nappies to wash).

My main problem is urgency, so a stair lift wouldn't work....

[Minah in reply to oldtimer2]

wishing you for your easy life and recovery .

[medway-lady]

It is a question loaded with what if? and I'd urge you to contact the local authority as it may be that

a) you live in a house where the water supply and main drain system is a long way from where a new toilet might be erected. IE to build at the back when the main drains are at the front do you need to make extensive alterations to the ground floor to get into the water supply and drains.

b) you live in a conservation area or have already increased the footprint of your home to point where you've taken up your permitted development rights so must get planning permission

c) you have insufficient headroom to flush away (think solids) and need a pumped sanitation loo. (incredibly expensive I believe)

d) I think its unlikely you'll get planning permission if its needed without putting in a new sink as well as a loo. And if you do install one without PP it could be difficult to sell your home.

e) I'd also think about how you'd get to the loo? If its outside with snow on the ground what good would it actually be.

So in summary I would suggest that you contact your local authority and discuss this more and don't let anyone cold call and sell you something that you might not need and pay for. If its no to a stair lift because of urgency its hard to see how getting to a loo in the garden would be quicker in the winter when you might need to put on a coat and shoes too.

[Minah]

Thanks for your detailed suggestions and now definitely I will call council for a help .

[medway-lady in reply to Minah]

I'm almost certain if you build a washroom in the garden its classified as a habitable room and you'll need PP or building control permissions and your neighbours will be asked about it. It really is not as simple as getting someone in bung up a lean too and put in a loo etc. You'll need electricity to light it etc etc. Sadly these days nearly everything comes with permissions to be obtained. Just a thought can you not divide up a room near the kitchen as you no longer need two doors between the kitchen and loo and it'd probably be cheaper and easier.

[joycen60]

Hi, I had a downstairs toilet built on the front of my house, as kitchen and bathroom are both at the front. Planning permission depended on size. I decided to have a larger one so I did need permission. Once built I realised that a smaller one without planning permission would have been fine , though it did give me a larger entrance hall which is really useful. I think it cost me around £15,000 but to me it was worth every penny.