Home care post stroke, what to do about shower access?

[Esmetempscire]

Hoping mumsnet hive mind might have some practical suggestions here I've not thought of.

Previously fully mobile early 70s parent had a severe stroke in the spring. Hospital for ten weeks and 8 weeks in care home setting due to lack of carers to meet home care package. Their Mobility continues to improve but they are not yet transferring from bed to chair independently and needs 1 person to aid, also remains catheterised. They are currently working towards shuffling steps at present but continue to experience oss of sensation and function all down left side. Parent is having daily physio and the improvent over the last six weeks has been tremendous.

Care package has finally come together very suddenly and is now due home later this week. Downstairs reception room has been turned into a temporary bedroom. There is a downstairs toilet in the house but no shower, what options do we have to get around this?

Stair lift? What mobility level is needed to use one safely?

Convert utility room into a wet room? Not a quick solution and im thinking that their mobility may have improved by the time we could get this done?

Are there other short term or temporary options I'm not thinking of here for shower facilities?

Im hoping there might be a sensible solution whilst we figure out what level of mobility will be regained for the longer term?

Thank you very much for reading and any suggestions are very much appreciated.

Would they be okay with washing with a flannel and a basin of water at the moment until you've figured out how much things are likely to improve?

Has an OT assessed the home environment? It is something to throw back to them for a solution.

Yes flannel handwashing is the other fall back option for sure @BeatriceLacey . I should have mentioned that the shower facilities in the latest care home have been excellent and parent has been talking about how having the shower has improved mood andd mindset so keen to try to keep this up if at all possible!

Agree with this, should be a home environment visit before home? How is ingress/egress of the home? How easy is it to mobilise around home? Accessing toilet etc?

@LIZS we've had lots of OT involvement but holidays have delayed a home adaptions type review of the property. Defo will try your suggestion of seeing what solutions they can come up with!

@MichelleScarn initial visits were done whilst parent was less mobile and in hospital. Property deemed appropriate for home care and hospital type bed, commode and Sara stedy are already in residence. Feels like the OT's have got caught out with the sudden progress on the care package at the moment.

are you able to get them in/out of a car and into a wheelchair?
I’m just wondering if the care home would provide a service where you take them once a week for a shower? Strip wash the rest of the time?
how desperate are they to have showering as part of a daily routine - it’s so tiring and might not be the best use of limited energy?

Oh I just saw they need a Sara stedy to transfer…it wouldn’t be safe to try that at the top of the stairs even if you did get a stairlift :-(

If you can afford it. I would look into making the utility a wet room or putting in a shower and work out a way to do flannel washes in the downstairs loo in the meantime.
Mobility may improve, fingers crossed, but a downstairs shower room will always be useful.

I'd go for utility room into wet room.
At 70+ their mobility may never get that good and at least if it does they are on one level if needed.

Oh stedy for transfers? 1/2 to assist? Are they going home for single floor living?

We have recently arranged for a rented stairlift to be installed - there’s an installation / removal fixed fee of several hundred pounds and a rent of £40 per month. It seemed too good to be true but was installed this week and seems legit unless it catapults me out of the upstairs window when I get home from hospital.
This might make regular showers (assuming shower seat etc) accessible -I recognise the HUGE psychological boost of being able to have a proper wash.

@MichelleScarn yes coming home to single floor living initially whilst we figure out what the max level.of regained mobility will be. Parent has another 4 months minimum daily physio,/OT therapy as part of a trial progtamme and they are very pleased at progress so far. Potential long term parents may move to bungalow so don't want to go completely wild adaptations wise if that makes sense.

@MrsWooster thanks for your feedback on stairlift hire much appreciated.

I'm wondering if a question we need to ask the OT's is what level of mobility is required before a stairlift can be used safely.

It'll be about mobility and also ability to safely use the stairlift re understanding of.risk when on it and how to operate.

I have the same issues - this is the kind of thing I had in mind - might be worth a look. taplanes.co.uk/our-products/dignity-pods/

As a stroke sufferer your mum s balance is probably affected so may not be suitable for a stairlift . Converting the utility room into a shower room may be the best idea as it may be a long time before she can walk up the stairs . In your place I would phone the OT who dealt with your mum and ask her about such a conversion as she may be able to advise .
it might be that she can liase with your local council on your mums behalf because mum might be entitled to funding depending on her circumstances. Our local council organised my MIL bathroom conversion into a wet room.
Going forward I’m sure your mum have have much more need of a shower room than a utility .
Im disabled and my SIL had a en suite shower room installed in my bedroom . Because of this our council tax went down one level .

My Mum had a stroke and because it has impacted her balance quite badly was deemed too high risk for a stairlift. We ended up moving her to a flat because sleeping and living in the the living room and using the downstairs loo for a flannel wash was just too depressing for her and Dad.

Thank you everyone for your responses.

Lots of food for thought and has definitely helped to refine questions we need ask the OT's.