This is my first post, so apologies if I am not following correct protocol.
My wife (73) was diagnosed with atypical Parkinson’s, probably PSP, in September; but first visited the doctor’s about mobility in 2021. At the moment she can still get upstairs (I’ve fitted a second handrail) and move around the house without her stick. Outdoors she has a rollator and a mobility scooter. Realising how this disease is going to progress, we are considering converting part of the garage to bedroom and wet room.
I am interested in other people’s experiences of doing this. There seems to be some nationawide companies (e.g. Able Access, Absolute Mobility); has anyone used any of these companies? If using a local builder, who designed the works? I am concerned that a local builder may not have the knowledge for any particular PSP requirements.
We live in South Wales, so would be grateful for any local knowledge.
Thank you,
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Pspuser
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Hi, I am so pleased that you have reached out to this group although none of us ever wanted to be on it. There is no 'correct protocol' so please do not be concerned. We converted my husband's study into a wet room, which was very successful, but there was no room for a bedroom downstairs so a year before he died we had to move to a bungalow as he was not safe on the stair lift. Reference the wet room, we got 3 quotes from local builders who were was on our local Check a Trader list. The one we chose did a marvellous job. When we moved we could not convert the shower room into a wet room due to the floor base but we had the shower altered so there was no ridge into it so that we could wheel my husband's mobile shower chair into it and then we had half gates as a water barrier. It worked very well. All you need to think of is size - big enough to accommodate a hospital bed and maybe a hoist, sufficient room to keep incontinence pads and all the other things like that, as well as making it a nice bedroom for your wife with TV etc and somewhere for her and family to sit. You have to also take into consideration that you cannot have plug sockets within a certain distance of any water supply. A qualified electrician advised on this as we needed quite a lot of plugs. We had an assessment from the occupational therapist who advised us on what grab rails etc my husband needed. I am sure that you will get a lot more advise from others so for now good luck, AliBee
Hi AliBee1, just wanted to say that your replies to fellow PSP carers are always super practical and helpful. Whilst this particular issue doesn't affect us (we're way past this post unfortunately) it made interesting reading. This forum is brilliant for reaching out to those in the PSP fog.You're a star.Leosta
We completed a similar project in March this year. We took the advice of "do this before you need it" and started planning and sourcing architect & builders in May last year at the time when my husband could use the stairs, walk with a stick and then rollator and I am so glad we did - we have a ground floor level access bedroom and wet room with garden and rest of house access as its in full use now after changes in mobility and other symptoms. We utilzed half of the garage and added on a 3.5 m sq extension. We are not in your area but hope some of the information below is helpful
It can take longer than you think to get something like this planned and completed. We used a local architect and builder - it took 5 months for plans and design, planning regs sourcing builders and quotes and agreeing start date and we were lucky with our builder as some others had a very long lead time. The project took just over 4 months but we extended this with work to lanscape the garden so 6 months in total as the weather and some materials delays affected the build Our architect & builder were great as were his trades and all had quite a high level of knowledge about disability regs, suitable build and equipment and what they didnt know they found out. I was leading the design, chosing F&F but the builder project managed the work and had a team of trades - plumber, electrician, joiner etc that he worked with so the project ran very smoothly. We decided not to go to a specialist company because of their costs but primarily because we wanted a wetroom and bedroom that looked part of the house with all the disablity F&F but of a contemporary design.
Things to consider:
* Try and avoid a flat roof extension if you can. We originally wanted a pitch roof for light and space but neighbours got a little ansty about this so we have a flat roof with lantern light. its great but flat roofs tend to be noisy in bad weather.
* Large pocket door are great we have one from bedroom to wetroom its good aesthetically and very practical for the user as it saves doors opening back and causing fall back especially when using a walker and would be very practical for wheelchair.
* Level floor access throughout and into garden. We also have a sloping path that runs through to front for garden access and future easier wheelchair access
Wetroom - we have a walk in shower with just one sturdy side panel, (not curtain as these can stick to body when wet and cause fall risk, with a wider than normal opening, full tiling - full non slip porcelain throught wetroom with slight drain slope in shower so no shower tray lip to trip on. We also put the shower former near the wall not underfoot in the centre
Wet and dry loo - we bought from bidet-shower.co.uk, the guy who owns it was very helpful and we bought a japanese Wet/dry loo wall hung which meant we could hang at height to accommodate a future shower chair but also position at height to suit user. Great for cleaning under aswell. it has a remote control which users can use but in future carer can if it becomes more difficult
Sink - we have a low oval bowl sat on a wall hung plinth as this give space under for wheel chair in future and the bowl is low so user can see and use more easily. For both shower and sinlk we have mixer tap with simple control for ease of use.
We have grab bars either side of loo with one wall fixed and the other a drop down bar - we read up on all the recommendations but the best advise is set at height the user feels most comfortable with. Grab bar in shower and a wall hung radiators at height which is easy to grab to stand whilst being helped to dry
Make sure you have plenty and suitable lighting. we have spots in wetroom but also have a light tunnel. The wetroom is garage extension so no natural light and the light tunnel creates a substantial amount of light all day. In bedroom we have two sets of spots so we can have full light of more subdued with switch by the bed and bedisde light for ease of access
Think about bed position - is it easy to get in and out of ( we were provided with hospital bed which is ideal and definately aids getting up / into bed), havwe you got space around the bed for future carers access, wheel chair access.
Furnture - think about bathroom products and spares, clothes and enough space for other equipment and have a bedside table for easy access to things the user needs. TV and aerial so user can watch TV or listen to radio
Fall alert sensors in room and wetroom
Windows - we were going to have curtains to make the room loiok cosy but chnaged to shutters and these are ideal as you can fully close, tilt to shade and fully open
Forgot to mention builder put in strengthened ceiling beams for future hoist using spec from structural engineer and strengthened battens for fixing grab rails and wall hung sink. We had underfloor heating throughout but also electric heated towel rail fir warmth I wetroon when heating g not on, towel drying and as an additional useful grab rail
Thank you so much for taking the time to give me such a detailed reply. We are on a horrible journey, but the kindness of the members of this forum gives me strength.
Hi Pspuser, my Dad is in the late stages of PSP. We've been through multiple stages. I'm an occupational therapist - that's the main profession you need to involve in you conversion from the beginning, particularlyto work closelywith your builder. We've been able to keep Dad at home for a few years longer than we were told we would. It's because we got everything set up early and looked ahead to predict what he might need. I think it's great you're being so proactive about what you can do.My suggestion would be that you don't delay, sadly you may move to a next stage faster than you think, and the coversion will take time. You will likely need room for wheelchair along with circulation space, and possibly room for a hoist longer term. One of the best things we did was buy a Sara Steady standing hoist. Once Dad reached the stage of being fearful of falling, and became reluctant to transfer, it makes transfers really simple and secure.
I wish you the best. It's a tough condition for both the person and their carer. I'm just incredibly thankful that we've been able to share the burden of the disease as a family, and that Dad hasn't had that burden on his own. It's also been a privilege to show him our love and to become closer throughout the time. I hope you find the help you need, cheers
I do agree with the previous replies. We had our garage converted, finished last December. We had a small extension added to the front too.
It is best to get going with it, it took longer than we thought.
We used a local architect and recommended local builders who also came up with some good suggestions, for example French doors instead of a large window. We had to add an outdoor lift (council put this in) as the step down (10”) made the length of the required slope too long. So the French doors came in handy!
We have a pocket door to the wet room, saves so much space.
We have underfloor heating (water) which is wonderful. No radiators to fall against, no space needed for them and is a lovely heat. The guys who fitted that came from Wales.
You do need more space than you think and more electric sockets than you think. I also got the builders to put in a fitted wardrobe for change of clothes, bed linen and extra towels which has been really useful.
We have a dimmer switch as my husband has problems with his eyes. We use Alexa to enable him to play the radio and operate the curtains as he still has speech.
The OT and council fitted a hoist.
Be aware that even if you have strengthened plaster boards you still maynot be able to add rails. The NRS fitters refused to add them around the toilet. We use a shower seat that fits over the toilet and the Return stand. We were able to fit rails under the shower.
I can send photos if required and measurements when I can find the plans!
Thank you. I would be grateful for the measurements and a copy/photo of the plans. I had been considering converting half the garage (it’s a double), but from what you are all saying, perhaps it will need to be all of it. I may have to get rid of all my ‘junk’.
Ours was only a small single garage, we never put the car in it! So had 20 years of accumulated junk! Good luck with the sorting, this also took longer than I thought. The wetroom backs onto our utility room and I kept a small space for a broom cupboard small freezer. So I’m sure you could keep some space for tools, pots of paint etc.!
This is exactly what we did for my mum who came to live with us in April.
We converted our garage into a bedroom and wet room for her and used a local builder. We took advantage and re did most of downstairs moving the kitchen to what was our dining room and generally making all the areas wheelchair accessible for the future.
Builder was great at telling us what we should and shouldn’t do i.e got us to put an extra corridor so that if mum came straight out of bathroom in a state of undress, which she does, she wouldn’t be on full view. He also put grab rails all over the place for us, which we could have probably got the council to provide but… he sourced disabled showers the lot. Really happy with how it has turned out.
Sorry for your wife’s diagnosis. We are just waiting to have a wet room installed in a cupboard that is next to our toilet. It is being funded by our local health board they pay 80% we pay 20%. My husband was assessed by OT as he can no longer manage stairs. He sleeps downstairs. I would look into getting funding for some of this. It’s a great idea it’s all about making things easy for you both and dignity for your wife. Good luck 💜
So sorry to hear about your wife. She obviously has good and loving support from you. When things got difficult for my husband, I decided to make the downstairs WC into a wet room.
We were lucky to have the facility to take room for the shower from an adjoining room.
Despite having a stair lift, it became apparent that sleeping downstairs was a better idea.
The room we used, was just across from the new wet room and we were provided with a shower chair, so that my husband could be taken from his bed straight into the toilet and the shower.
I looked at the local authority's list of approved building firms and one of them did the work . These had been vetted and were used to doing work for disabled people.
Age UK may also give advice as to who could do the job.
The builder had a catalogue of fittings and fixtures suitable for a disabled person.
They did a good job and made our lives so much more manageable.
Contact your local care and repair office- they are all over wales got free impartial advice and recommendations from a welsh government agency that is desigyto support people adapting their homes and May also be able to advise on possible grants for work.
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