Bath aids

[ColourByNumbers88]

Can anybody recommend a bath seat? I've been looking at bath boards - they vary in price. Does anybody have a good one?

Hi, it’s difficult to recommend bathing aids without knowing what the difficulty is, or having a look at the layout of the bath and bathroom. A bath board is very different to a bath seat.
The bathroom is fraught with danger for elderly people with mobility problems. Would it be possible for you to arrange an assessment with an occupational therapist who would provide advice and appropriate aids and equipment?

We did have an assessment in January and the council have no money to fund the kit required. After hearing nothing for 2 months I spoke to the OT who said "get them a bath board, they are cheap, just google". They said the waiting list is huge and it will be months... it's to help my parents get in and out of the bath or to sit in the bath on it and have a shower. Sadly they don't have a walk in shower...

It's such a lottery isn't it. DA can't get on the shower and the Council are paying for a Westeros for them following an OT Assessment.

Re your follow up post, OP, we used the Homecraft basic bath board when I worked in this field. They are normally used to transfer onto, and use an overbath shower. The idea is to sit onto the board, then lift legs in one by one, then shuffle along into the centre. To lower yourself into the bath from one of these is difficult and dangerous, particularly to get up again. Measure the width of the bath before you buy. The bath needs to be a standard rectangle with no fancy edging, and not set right into the wall, so that decent flat surfaces are available for the bath board edges to fit securely onto. Also it’s no good if there is any sort of fixed screen beside the bath. A curtain is best, and it’s best to get a second cheap curtain, hang it inside the other one, and cut out a shape to fit around where the board sits, so that you can stop water from the shower going over the side of the bath. You might need to look at a grab handle to the side of the bath.
Hope this helps. Sorry you haven’t been able to get the service you need. Do you have a Care and Repair service near you?

@StepCombatAttack thanks for taking the time. I'm very disappointed in the OT service, no follow up letter to explain the situation or to make any recommendations. Both parents mid 80s and mum getting increasingly frail, dad is doing everything. There's no family close by. It's very worrying.

I thought this might be the case with the bath board. They have a glass shower screen, so a board won't be any use. Mum hasn't had a shower or bath since before the pandemic. She washes in the sink. She is very proud and put on a show for the OT. Not sure what to do.

She washes in the sink. She is very proud and put on a show for the OT. Not sure what to do

They so often do try and put on a show. It's usually the sane with Care Needs Assessments too. Totally misses the point of why the assessment is taking place.

My mother was the same - she only had sponge baths for the last five years of her life because she couldn't access the bath or the shower in their (totally unsuitable in many ways) house, and they refused to consider getting the bathroom refitted with a walk-in shower, despite having more than enough money to do so.

Could your parents afford to swap the bath for an accessible shower? I presume they would refuse to do anything sensible in terms of long-term planning like move to a purpose-built flat or sheltered accommodation, but it might be worth having a chat about it anyway.

@exexpat absolutely no chance of a move, she wants to die in that house! I've suggested a bathroom refurb but they won't do it.

If you can persuade them to have a bathroom refit (I know you said they are v reluctant) with a walk-in shower, please get a local independent reliable chap to advise/install. I fell for the 'disabled bathroom requires special fitting' spiel and was quoted nearly 10k (only shower) until I came to my senses. Local v good plumber did it for under £3k, shower, loo and basin.

I’m so sorry OP that this has been your experience. Our elderly population deserve better than this. Sometimes the simplest things can help make life safer, more comfortable and dignified for someone who is struggling with independence. Prompt, sympathetic assessments and provision of decent equipment/services to the home would prevent many hospital admissions.
Would your parents have the glass screen removed?

Hi Op

I'm not elderly but prematurely disabled. I bought this bath seat.
It suctions to the bottom of the bath and uses a remote control to smoothly raise & lower. The remote detaches to charge up.
The "side wings" sit on the edge of the bath to help you get onto the seat & then simply lift as you are lowered.
I would add a hand rail on the wall to help steady them as they swivel to get out.
There are also seats which actually swivel round but I've never tried one.

Is the screen fixed? I have used a bathboard and I have a tiled wall on one side and there is a enough of a ledge on the end of the bath to support it. You can put on any part of the bath and her screen can’t possibly cover it all otherwise how would you get in? It is very safe. I use a shower hose to wash. They are about £20 so I suggest you order one off amazon and try it. I have a slatted one, very simple but effective. My mum used one like this as well before they moved.

Like this

https://www.essentialaids.com/bathroom/bath-boards/economy-slatted-bath-board-686mm.html?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwncWvBhD_ARIsAEb2HW9fB_Gz00wAhy8XmhCeuCjLOqhhmUITdoFtqZUg7Gkqu495mQy6zt4aAhaWEALw_wcB

You don’t pay VAT if she is disabled and there is usually a box to tick to declare that.

PIL also threaten to leave their house in a box and have always had head in sand about growing old. Complete failure to,plan and take responsibility for themselves. No downsizing or house adaptations. Hundreds of thousands in the bank.
FIL with stage 4 cancer and MIL with severe osteoporosis both now resigned to perching on a stool and having a strip wash with a flannel at the end of their lives.
I will never understand.

MIL with severe osteoporosis both now resigned to perching on a stool and having a strip wash with a flannel at the end of their lives.
I will never understand. Washing occupies half an hour or so. A house can give you comfort and even joy for all your waking hours. Think of it as a sacrifice they’re prepared to make to stay in the house they love.

My parents had this seat. It worked well when someone was there to help get mum’s legs up and over. She had it in a rather ornate roll top bath in her bedroom and it was probably quite a bit higher than a regular bath.
it got to a point where my dad was unable to help so I used it a few times with Mum. It always worked well despite the taps being in the middle of the bath on one side.

Thanks everyone. I've ordered a bath board and might progress to the fancier seat once they have a try of this.

I've used a bath lift very like the one linked by @CoffeeBeansGalore . It was provided by the council's OT department at the time. I don't need one now, but I'd take that over a strip wash if/when I become too incapacitated to get in and out of a bath or use a shower safely again.