Shower Stools

Shower Stools For Elderly

As a person ages, bones will become brittle and more easily damageable. Slippery surfaces once considered fun to slide across as a child, are now an elderly person’s nightmare. If they should happen to slip and fall, the elderly could break a bone. Many times, the broken bone does not prove to be the largest problem. Instead, infection can set in and cause serious health problems. In some cases, complications from a slip can even cause death.

Slippery areas are to be avoided if one is an elderly person. Often, an older individual might come to view his slick shower stall as a very dangerous place. No elderly person should be unable to safely take a shower in his own home. With the use of shower stools, however, an elderly individual no longer needs to lose the small daily triumph of showering on their own. The elderly can now sit down in their shower area with a shower stool.

Customize Your Shower Stools

With a wide range of choices in material, strength, size and color, you are assured to find a shower stool that will meet your needs.

• Teak Shower Stools

  Shower stools are made of teak, metal and plastic, all of which are rust resistant in a wet handicap shower environment. Teak is a strong heavy wood that can provide a dark yellowish brown color to your bathroom. Teak shower stools or wooden shower stools require very little maintenance and can be cleaned with some soap and water.

• Corner Shower Stools

  There are also stylish stools in rectangular, square, round and even corner shaped. Even with awkwardly designed bathtubs or showers, there are shower stools that fit any corner. For example, corner shower stools take up very little space if you have a square corner area.

• Bariatric Shower Stools

  There are bariatric shower stools capable of supporting weights up to 200lbs to 400lbs. Pay careful attention to the weight limitations of the taller shower stools. Although, it is not always the case, the height adjustable stool legs will lose their strength, the longer you extend the legs.

• Folding Shower Stools

  Shower stools can be lightweight and portable or bolted down to the ground as a permanent fixture to the shower area. These can take up very little space because you can fold them up against the wall. Other folding shower stools are not attached to the shower walls and work like a folding chair. The difference between a regular chair and a shower stool is the greater sitting space and seat holes for the water to drain through.

• However, since typically shower stools lack a backrest, you might prefer a shower chair or a shower bench. Some people prefer to lean the bath stool up against the shower walls and use that as their backrest. This is up to your own seating preference.
• When purchasing a stool, take into consideration your troubles bending at your knees. Get a higher height so you put less strain on your body. This is not recommended for those who require bariatric stools. The strength of the stool legs is not something you can compromise on. If you need assistance getting up, position a shower grab bar near the seat to assist you when you sit down and stand up.

Shower stools are sold to individuals who have the most trouble getting in and out of the shower. Many times, these individuals are elderly. In other instances, they are used by disabled people. Shower stools allow their users to safely sit on the seat and swing their legs around into the bathtub or shower stall. When they have completed the shower, they can swing their legs back around to safely stand up on the floor outside of the bathtub. Overall, shower stools prevent people from slipping and falling in the shower. As a result, these stools can save lives.

Growing older does not mean that a person needs to give up his independence. With the use of a shower stool, an elderly person can stay clean without moving to a personal care home or without receiving sponge baths from a visiting aid. Ultimately, shower stools help the elderly and handicapped maintain a great deal of dignity.

Shower Transfer Benches

For those who are disabled or have limited or impaired mobility, shower transfer benches are effective, safe means of transitioning from one position to another.

A shower transfer bench is a specifically designed device that assists the user in personal care requirements, such as moving into and out of a bathtub. Other handicap transfer benches function as portable commodes, allowing the user to safely relief themselves, without having to struggle to gain access to a low toilet.

Shower transfer benches are available in a wide variety of materials resistant to the effects of water. Ranging from teak, plastic and aluminum, these benches can support weight capacity of 300lbs and more. Heavy duty or bariatric transfer benches are capable of supporting weights over 300lbs.

Tub Transfer Benches

Transfer benches designed for use in the tub often offer swiveling, pivoting, and sliding seats, which gently and safely move the user into the bathing basin, without the fear of slipping, tripping, or falling. The advantage of a tub transfer bench is the longer lengths which extend from inside the tub out to the curb. A standard shower seat might not provide the additional space you required. Some benches attach to the bathtub wall while others are freestanding with non-slip feet. Customize your tub bench by adding a shower grab bar nearby to aid in standing and sitting.

Handicap transfer benches are not limited to use inside. Many of these shower benches and seats are portable and can be taken outside for use in the garden, to alleviate the need for constant kneeling, shifting, and standing. The user can comfortably and securely remain seated while participating in gardening tasks.

Loss of mobility is a frightening disability and the fears of falling and loss of independence can be overwhelming. Handicap transfer benches are one answer to this challenge, allowing the user to remain active and independent in their self care.

Buying the Best Shower Transfer Benches Online

Shower transfer benches have a wide range of choices and options for you to choose from. Depending on your physical needs and capabilities, some can run into the high hundreds of dollars or below $50. Prices range from $50 for a simple seat and can go up towards of $200 for sliding features and rails. Sliding transfer benches, where the bench is on some movable rails, will be more expensive.

Buying a shower transfer bench online is probably the simplest way to obtain one. Because you cannot touch the shower benches, you should take time to research the right product for you. Here are a few things to consider.

• Weight – With a support capability of up to 300lbs, the standard bench might be sufficient. Over 300lbs would require a bariatric transfer bench.
• Material – Choose the bench materials that fit your preference such as plastic, wood or metal.
• Size – Like weight support, size is equally important because the shower transfer bench must fit your tub or shower location. Widths that accommodate most tubs will be in the range of 17 to 24 inches.
• Other Options – Do you want a backrest or drain holes on the bench? Do you require safety rails on the sides? How high do you need this transfer bench? Additional options such as back support and suction cups on the feet that attach firmly to the bathtub or shower are also available.

Shower Commodes

Shower commodes are movable chairs that allow the handicapped and the incontinent to take or receive a shower without concern about their incontinence or mobility issues. Shower commodes are rust-resistant and ready for transporting or self-maneuvering. They are also designed to fit over most toilet bowls or be used as a portable toilet with the removable commode pans.

Shower Commode Chair

At their most basic, a shower commode is a heavy-duty, but lightweight, chair mounted on rolling swivel wheels with a toilet-style seat. Typically made from stainless steel or aluminum, PVC models are also available. Various seats, backrests, headrests and levels of complexity exist, including tilting shower commodes, high back shower commodes, motorized and even portable travel shower commodes. Some commode models are stationary, for those who are partially mobile, but still need the protection from incontinence that a shower commode can provide. There are bariatric shower commode chairs that support the weight of heavier users and can be used without fear of breaking or being unstable. Mobile bariatric shower commodes with wheels can be a great assistance for caregivers who take care of heavy patients.

Many handicap showers offer a roll in design for shower commodes to pass over the tub curb. With a low curb, commode users can shower in their waterproof chairs and be transported easily.

Commodes are covered by Medicare but in the case of shower commodes, they are typically not covered. Companies may offer financing and grants on these products. Prices can range from 100 dollars to 3000 dollars and up for the motorized high end models.

To families and individuals who need them, shower commodes are a necessary part of their daily life. Due to the portability of commodes, they are favored over handicap shower benches or handicap shower seats. The more complex commode models allow for various levels of manipulation for those who have less control of their limbs or movement. Motorized commodes allow people, who cannot walk, the ability to take their own showers. Portable shower commodes allow families and individuals the chance to travel and stay in hotels without worrying about shower accommodations.