It's funny but social services have been round twice trying to sort out changing our bathroom and they still couldn't get my point of view. In the end a called in a bathroom specialist on Tuesday. Explained what we wanted/needed ah yes said the very nice man how about this or you could have that showing me exactly what i want/need.
So i said could you do the estimate and let me know asap.... dreading the thought that the low level easy access shower was going to be way out of our price bracket.
Estimate came in at a reasonable price so they start the work on the 8th of February.
Funny how ss have been dragging thier feet for six months or more and the suggestions have involved major building work including moving the gas boiler into the loft.
Janexx
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jzygirl
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Hi Jane, I hope you don't mind if I show our sales guys your post? We install bathrooms and they are very reluctant to do disabled bathrooms, even though ours is brilliant!
I am having the same problem with SS, about access to our house. I was referred to them,back in May 2015. Had a few people around, all saying "can't do that!" Only wanting to put some big ugly ramp, taking up all our patio, thus leaving no place for S to sit out, if we get any summer. They sent the quotes to some jumped up OT, who then demanded my answer. I couldn't get her to understand, I needed to see the quote and the details of what I was getting for my money. Even if they were going to pay, I think I should have the right to say yes or no! This has only happened in the last few weeks. Got a phone call on Monday, from SS. I presume to see what is happening. Thankfully, I was out. Not sure if my patience with them will allow a polite response. If our Company dealt with people, like I have been treated. We would be out of business. For goodness sake, three months to not get a quote to someone, is the biggest sign of a company NOT to deal with!!!
Hope your bathroom goes well. It will be worth the hassle!!!!
Feel free to show your guys my post. The company we are useing is clacton bathroom centre and as far as i am concerned they have been great. They knew what was needed and how they could do it. Have even been promised that the bathroom will be accessible when needed ie morning and evening and no major disruption. Ss wanted Brian to go into respite at our expense for 2 weeks while they did the work..
We are having a low profile shower tray and 750mm high shower screen with curtain rail and thermostatic safe touch bar shower valve.
Just what i had wanted easy for him and nice for me... they must get into the disabled market.
I thought going to a bathroom specialist would of been out of our price range but for under £4,000 it will be well worth it.
Oh and that does include a new sink and unit plus the taps etc.
It was interesting to read your post regarding bathroom as we are just embarking down the same road. Been very difficult to get what we need and also like and find company to do the work . We have found decent size level access shower tray that will take wheeled shower chair and with it the enclosure consists of 2 walls and 2 full height shower doors that both have split opening like a stable door for carer access. Took a long time to find but they are called Larenco duo.
Nothing is straight forward I find . Good luck with yours sounds like you have found a good sensible company. X
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Hi jill i did think about having a higher toilet but being as Brian uses the glide about comode we needed clearance to push him over the toilet. And being as I'm not quite 5foot tall i need a lower (normal) toilet or i need to do a hop skip and jump to get on and off the loo.
All good fun when one person is 6ft and the other is 5ft.
Hi Heady, hope you get a ramp that suits S's needs and that he and you will still have a nice space to sit out and enjoy any fine weather that comes along.
We have 2 steps at front and 2 at back doors and I have been wondering if there is such a thing as a portable ramp, I need to search Internet. Hoping we won't need one for some time yet.
Hope you are keeping well and S is having good days.
Hi Nanny, Yes, you can get a portable ramp! I have bought one. Cost £700, but that beats the £3000, that SS wanted me to pay and the £10,000, for what I wanted!!! Haven't tried it yet, because S doesn't need it, but it sat there "just in case"!!!! Means I don't have that awful thought at the back of my mind, "what do I do, if????"
I bought it from our local disabled shop. The guy came out, measured up and suggested the best for our situation. You can get them on-line.
We had the same problem with the patio. They wanted to put a 10 ft ramp in so instead I paid to have the patio doors lowered, they took out one course of bricks, and I bought a folding wheelchair ramp that I put down when I need it. Took some of our savings but we still have the patio and access.
Hi Jane, glad you got what you wanted/needed in the end. I hope all goes well for you. We were updating our ensuite which had a small square shower set quite high up and rest of layout was all wrong. I explained to our local plumber about PSP and he suggested a longer slimline shower tray from wall to wall with pivot door and a wash basin with half pedestal keeping it off the floor and making it easy for wheelchair access (when needed). The shower has a remote control button on the outside so when W is sitting in the shower I can turn the water on and off without getting myself soaked. The whole refurbishment (including tiling) took just a week and it has been a success. Good luck when they start on your new bathroom. Love, Nanny xx
Jzygirl good luck always better to get your own design and tradesmen, you can get what you want and need in your timescale. May I suggest that you get a friendly OT or architect who has experience in disabled facilities to do your plans a once over to ensure you have all you need. It may be a wet room is best nothing to fall against or get in the way of you and Carers when he cannot wash/ shower himself. I like the idea of external controls for the shower a trick I missed. It may blow your budget but ask for quote for underfloor heating makes evening/night trips in bare feet tolerable.
Hi Tim the company i am using do specialise in disabled bathrooms even though the main work they do is normal bathrooms. The unit that we are having is suitable to get the shower comode in. Brian unable to stand.
I did a bit of research and looked at several designs before i called them in. It needed to be practical for him and usable for me as well. Janexx
Wow I'm sitting here fantasizing about what I would do with a better bathroom. I would hate to take the tub away. I'd like to keep it for grandchild's sake. In the US, they have "Rebath" who come in and refurbish baths. They have a walk in tub for old folks and disabled. The side of the tub has a door that when shut, stays shut, locking all water in during the bath....however, you can also stand and take a shower! I'm not sure of all the amenities like remote control water...but I think of a new bath at least once a day! well I sure am glad your are getting you and your husbands needs met, Jane. I remember the first time I ever heard of a wet room was when Georgepa was getting one....last Spring, early summer...?.....and gratitude to the ss who , for a moment came thru!..well you know what I mean...That brings up another question? you folks there in the UK have agencies that will install and or update new housing facilities? Dang! that's sounds like it has the potential to be nice....But it's the government so I know what it entails.....still...Don't forget the bubblebath!
Avb we have refused the ss bathroom because they wanted to do too much work makeing it very costly and they also wanted Brian to go into respite for 2 weeks. And it was not a design that catered for both of us. And lets face it who wants to go in the loft to adjust the gas boiler. (That's where they wanted to put it)
And to he honest with you what they wanted to know about my finances was frightening. And if they gave him a grant and he then had to go in a care home before the set time of usage we would have to pay them money back. Janexx
I feel for you Jane...the beauracracy prides themselves on "doing for the common man" when if they were listening could save 1,000s of moneys and get it done more efficiently...Yah the boiler in the loft scared me...I can just imagine it exploding all of the people below ......
Well again I'm glad you are getting your needs met,
I hope you don't mind me saying this, but I think you should consider getting a wet room shower room. We could not have managed to use even a low profile shower tray. If the whole floor is waterproof, with a central drain, you will have much more space to navigate wheel chairs and a shower chair. Easier to use the shower to flush away any mishaps too. Doc M (I think) lays out space and equipment specifications for a disabled person and carer. Finally I recommend a paperless washer dryer loo (Clos-O-Mat) We got ours as a reconditioned one from the company at a huge discount. It was a god-send.
When we were planning one for mum we looked at as many dedicated disabled bathroom facilities as possible in hospitals art galleries etc in order to see how the big boys do it. Good luck, I hope it goes well for you.
What we are having done will be like having half the bathroom as a wet room (screened off from the toilet area) so it is a cross between a large shower and a wet room. The shower tray will basically be level with the floor in the rest of the bathroom.
And that way if i have a shower before Brian is taken into the toilet there is no worries about the floor being wet.
Not only that i hate wet rooms i feel vulnerable in them. Janexx
Wow an interesting read! And thank you for sharing the ideas that worked for you......we often have to muddle through; wait on beauracracies; and in the case of me make the same mistakes hoping "this time it will work" (insanity)......It sounds like you were creative and thought outside the box, good for you
the post, "Wow an interesting read" was to Formercarer" though Jane I can picture your bathroom....do you mean by screen a tiled wall? or is it a shower curtain
Abrike the screen is like half hight shower doors. Low enough th lean over to assist him when holding the shower head. because he will be in a mobile shower comode. Holes in correct place for washing him.
The tray is the same length as a bath so plenty of space to move. And there is a curtain that i can pull across when i shower with the shower head on the raiser pole without soaking the rest of the bathroom
My mum is also waiting for a walk on shower to be fitted by social services, we have been waiting 4 months, I wonder how many times she has to fall and hurt herself before they agree to do it!!!! Annoyed daughter
I found the SS very tardy with both shower changes and a ramp. I went ahead and had a wet room put in. Very pleased with it. They wanted to put in a big ramp, which would take up most of the patio and look awful. I am interested in the portable ramps, which they never mentioned. How big is a " suitcase ramp " ? Sounds just what we need.
I'd rather go ahead and pay for things if it is possible than hang about worrying it won't be in time.
Some things they are really quick with. Hospital bed and commode due next week !!
Go to Better life (Lloyds pharmacy ) and you can see examples of portable ramps - I think the max they do is 7feet long but your OT should source you one .
When we moved into our house 2 years ago now, my husband's symptoms weren't as bad as now and I hadn't had any dealings with SS or had any OTs assessments but the first thing Idid was to take out the bath and replace it with a huge walk in shower. Unfortunately I didn't level the ground, naively thinking that my husband would always be able to step up 6''! Anyway, SS and OTs have now been involved with providing ramps,hoists, hospital bed etc and they did look at the shower to see if I wanted them to do anything about it but was told that I would have to have the whole of the bathroom completely redone and to their design, installing some awful plastic shower screen etc.It didn't seem as though I would get much say into how it was done!
I can't afford to make changes to my bathroom myself at the moment so I have to wash my husband on the bed day and night but I would rather do that for now and try to save to change the bathroom as I want it!
I know what you meen about social services it seems to me they want to make it there way or no way. They wanted to rip everything out including the cupboard where my gas boiler is.
Try asking the company that did the bathroom in the 1st place how much it would cost to have your shower tray out and a level entry tray put in. It might be best to have half hight screens so you can shower other half without getting wet. Then you can have curtains for when you use it. It might be more affordable then you think.
Don't think i would ask ss for anything again not after the fuss over the bathroom. Janexx
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