Bath lift or similar - recommendation please

[NetZeroZealot]

My elderly father, 88 and frail, but living independently with my slightly younger and more robust Mum, can no longer get in or out of the bath. She is not strong enough to lift him. Shower is not an option.

There seem to be various devices available to help - from inflatable cushions to shelves that lower you in to the bath.

I would like to know if anyone has any direct experiences of these and can recommend one. Don't mind spending some money, but only if it works.

Thank you.

Is your Dad able to lift his legs over the bath when sitting down? My mum has this one Elixir Bath Lift from care co. The seat doesn't swivel around though, at the time (2 years) there didn't seem to be that option. I would avoid the inflatable and the shelf type as people have told me their parents have slipped.

Ask your local adult social care team for a bathing assessment.

They will come out and tell you exactly what is available/needed. They may even provide it for free if it ends up being a small piece of equipment.

Thank you both for your posts. That is interesting ref social care. I didn't know that was an option - it hadn't even occurred to me. I assume there is a long waiting list for appointments.

Depends on your local authority.

In mine it would only be a few weeks as they have employed people to just do bathing assessments to free up the OTs for the more complex stuff. The assessors come out - make an assessment what is needed and if its low level then either order the equipment from the local authority stock room which will be delivered a few days later or give you a voucher to put towards something from the local mobility aids shops if you want something a bit fancier.

If its more complex then you can be added to the OT waiting list or if you are happy with the suggestion from the assessor go and purchase what they suggest privately.

Every area does it differently though so ring the one your parents are in and they should be able to give you an idea how it works there.

Agree with asking the social care team. DM got a lot of equipment from them - handles for steps, walker, extra bannister's, etc. They also provided and installed one of those raising/lowering bath seats. It got sorted remarkably quickly.

My DM had grab handles fitted, and used a seat that fitted over the bath with the shower attachment to bathe my stepfather. Similar to this. https://www.welcomemobility.co.uk/bathroom/bath-seats/suspended-bath-seat.html
the supported living team came out and showed her how to assist him, but eventually she had to get carers in a couple of times a week to bathe him.

I agree about asking adult social care to do an assessment.

Something to consider is how your Mum will bathe if there is an aid in place and whether it will need to be moved. We had an assessment for our disabled son as he was getting too heavy to lift in and out of the bath - the electric seat aid they first suggested was heavier than he was and would have needed to be lifted out for others to use the bath (even to use the over bath shower) and also to charge the battery

@NetZeroZealot if your local authority will provide something suitable that would be great. However if you are going to have to buy something, I can personally vouch for something along the lines of this. I bought one (not this exact model but the same design and mode of operation) for my mum who longed to have a bath and hated showers.

Ours didn’t have a swivel seat, however, and that would have been useful. You can get a swivel cushion thing as an extra help. As Harrriet noted, all these bath lifts do mean the user has to be able to lift their legs over the side of the bath.

You do also have to factor in what happens to the device when it’s not in use. I used to put it in and take it out when Mum had a bath (I helped her to bathe) as she couldn’t have managed it herself. It folds up but I f it stays in the bath it does take up space for any other users.

Cross-posted with starfishmummy about leaving the seat in the bath! The one I bought was light enough to lift in and out quite easily, and you did need to do that, because it was in the way if anyone else wanted a bath. But it might still be a bit of a faff for OP's mum to do.

DM also got a bath lift from adult social care. They came and did an assessment and provided handles and a motorised bath lift for free. In our area it happened pretty quickly too.

This. The OT needs to see your father and the bathroom in order to pick something that's safe.

Thank you all so much.

This is all very new to me. No doubt there will be more to come.

We have an actual "shop" in our town run by the council - they have loads of demonstrations of all kinds of mobility aids, your council may have something similar?

As others have said, contact Occupational Therapy at local Council and request bathing assessment.

DM was given a bath seat after an adult care assessment. It runs off a battery and lowers & raises her into the bath. The problem is that the seat doesn't swivel & DM can't lift her legs high enough to get them over the side of the bath.

The chair is quite heavy, imo, and needs to be moved out of the way if someone else wants a bath or shower.

I'd also add that bathing someone is hard, heavy work.

after hip replacement i purchased the battery oiperated lift which you sit on and it lowers you down and up,into water., i find it very good and i cld take it on holiday in the car as it is light. it stores in the cupboard when not in use so other people can use the bath
it was under £150 - remote is charged quickly. i felt safe and it was heven toi have a
proper bath although i have a walk in shower. i find the bath keeps me warmer

I see my thread has been resurrected so I may as well update you.

The council's OT supplied a motorised one for free - it has a remote control and after some initial reluctance DF is now happy using it. He does have a carer to help him.