Advice for renovating a bathroom

[Kristin447]

Hi, this is my first post but I've reading and learning from all of you since the beginning of this year. I was going to do a full intro and background but now I need some quick advice. My husband is 53 and was diagnosed with probable PSP last year. He is still mobile right now but his falls and instability is increasing quickly. I have a half bath on our main floor and I want to convert it to something more accessible in the future. He loves taking a bath so I was first considering a walk-in tub but that might not be a good option down the line? Any thoughts on this would be appreciated! We are in the Boston area of US if that makes a difference. Thanks so much.

[Mamapiggle]

Hi I was considering a walk-in bath I had a visit from occupational health and she told me that you have to be in the bath before it fills up and stay in the bath while the water drains away.To be honest I didn't quite fancy that. I was a bit worried about get the right temperature of water. Hope this helps you.. take care.

Jeanette x

[Kristin447 in reply to Mamapiggle]

Yes I agree and I can imagine sitting in there waiting for it to fill and drain would be quite cold and uncomfortable! Thanks for the inpu!

[Dadshelper]

If you're thinking of a tub, just get a normal tub but make sure it's in an area big enough for a mobile lift. You can lift him from any future wheelchair into tub.

Personally I'd opt for a shower that a shower chair can be wheeled into. For now he'll be able to walk in since nothing to step over and will be useful for a long time. You can put a chair in for him to sit for now also. Grab bars should be installed for safety.

I've learned that when planning big changes to accommodate dad it was best to plan for the worst case scenario to avoid costly re-dos.

My 2 cents....

Ron

[Kristin447 in reply to Dadshelper]

Thank you so much. I am definitely trying to avoid the Re-Do process and not jump the gun on big changes.

[JA10]

Hi my parents are both in wheelchairs, mum with PSP, dad with MS. They have a full wet room bathroom. They have a shower chair/commode, which mum is hoisted into from her wheelchair and is showered in. The commode chair can also be positioned over the toilet. My Dad initially tried a shower cabinet with a tiny sill and grab bars, but that was not safe enough once his mobility went. Mum used to fall (and break bones) a lot including in the bathroom trying to use the toilet while she was still mobile. Full wet room with shower chair/commode is much safer and she has not had any broken bones for a couple of years now.

[Kristin447]

Thanks so much for your reply and information I appreciate it!

[Birdman34265]

Hi Kristin447,we have taken out our bath and fitted a composite shower tray flush to the floor it 1200x1100 mm with a hoop curtain arround, vinyl goes up the walls 150mm and sliding shower rose up the wall a wheelchair fits in easy,a horizontal handrail below the sliding bar,psp patient have some or no Ballance so you have to be careful,we also have suction handles on tiles above vanity,hope this helps . Peter & Kathy

[raincitygirl]

Hi Kristin, and Welcome

Ratcliffe posted about bathroom renos maybe 6 months ago? Try to look up Show Us Your Wet Room... If you have trouble let me know and I'll search for you.

Anne G.

[Kristin447 in reply to raincitygirl]

Thanks so much I will definitely look it up.

[AJK2001]

Hi

I had Mum's bathroom redone when she moved into her sheltered housing flat. Things I got right - wet room area for shower, so shower chair can be wheeled straight in and special non slip flooring (like they have in hospitals). Things I didn't get quite so right as I didn't think far enough into the future - a vanity unit under the wash basin - looks good, plenty of storage & gives Mum something to lean on at present but can't get a wheelchair under it, so may have to remove at some point. Toilet height - I hate toilet seat raisers, just think they are so unhygienic, so had a wall hung toilet put in at the height of standard toilet plus raised seat, with frame (screwed into floor) has worked fine but as Mum's mobility decreases realise it will become a problem as the glide commode is not high enough to go over the toilet !

I would not rely on suction grab rails, I put one in as a temporary measure whilst waiting for OT to get one fitted and it did move a little bit, which was scary for everyone! We have grab rails in shower & one next to the toilet, so Mum can hold on whilst knickers & trousers are pulled up.

In the UK if you are registered disabled, you do not have to pay VAT on these type of alterations - worth checking if there is a similar arrangement in US.

Good luck.

[Kristin447 in reply to AJK2001]

Excellent info, thanks so much!

[Hidden]

AS raincitygirl aka Ann said try researching in this web site,here is a previous pic of mine.

healthunlocked.com/psp/post....

Dee

[racinlady]

By taking a wall out, we were able to convert a walk-in (step up, step down) shower to a roll-in shower. We used a barn door type glass that extended wall to wall. It looked great and worked great! My husband was past the walking in stage by the time it was done, but we were able to use this as a roll-in until he moved to assisted living nearly a year later. My experience with suction grab bars was that they didn't work unless the surface was completely smooth with no texture at all. I wouldn't trust them for someone with PSP.

Pat

[candid88]

Expanded the shower area for my mum. When she was able to shower herself I had multiple grab bars put in and a built-in large bench - not a portable chair as they can tip, slide, etc. She was able to sit, operate the water and hand held shower wand which was within arm reach. When it was no longer safe for her to walk or to shower alone, we had a wheel chair, small transport chair at first, in which I was able to roll partially into the shower itself, and then I was able to lift her from the chair, in a pivot motion, onto the bench. The height of the seat of the wheelchair and bench were the same more or less. The bench was padded on the seat and in the back. I did this for 5 plus years without one single incident. I never had the caregiver do the transfer, I did it. A caregiver and sisters helped shower her. She was showered twice a week. On the floor we put a non-slip mat. Everything was prepped before she entered the shower, towels, wash cloths. After the shower she would be dried in place. After that a large cotton towel was placed around her and one was draped over the wheelchair seat and back to dry her back area when she was transferred back to the wheelchair. Further drying would be done in the bedroom (she had an ensuite). Ensure the patient is DRY everywhere! The thing is to have a system in place. Be methodical and consistent to avoid injury, accidents. I would NOT do a bathtub! Think it through, consider the progressive stages of PSP. Safety and ease is what to aim for. Make sure you have enough space in the half-bath. If you can take out the vanity that would help. You only need to roll the person into and then back them out. No need to worry about turning around a wheel chair within a confined bathroom space. Hope this helps. Best wishes.