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domestic goddess
10-16-11, 7:40pm
As some of you may know, my mom is elderly (86). She also suffers from arthritis, and is getting a bit more frail. She has been having trouble getting in and out of the tub, and I am thinking about one of those walk-in baths for her. Premier Baths is one company. Does anyone here have experience with any of the companies or the tubs?
I would really love to hear about personal experiences before we pop for this. Thanks in advance.

Selah
10-17-11, 9:06am
Will you be assisting her with her bath, or do you think that if she had a walk-in bath she'd be able to do it herself? Depending on her condition, one alternative would be to have a "bath lady" come in a few times a week, which an in-home healthcare provider can arrange, and perhaps Medicare would cover it. I'm just mentioning this because my friend's mother has Alzheimer's, and refused to bathe or let my friend bathe her. But for some reason, she respects the authority of "the bath lady," and there's no problem. Because of this, they didn't need to go to the expense of remodelling their bathroom. Not that your mother has the same mental condition, but that sometimes an experienced caregiver can hold the client safely, assist them with soaping and drying, and so on. My mother-in-law is a stroke victim and is completely paralyzed on one side. I can help her walk and go to the bathroom, and with her evening routine of toothbrushing, makeup removal and face washing, but I'd be very uncomfortable trying to give her a bath, because I know I don't really know how to support her properly and I'm afraid she'd fall.

Also, if they aren't in place already, sometimes well-placed grab rails and non-slip rubber mats, and alternating between full baths and in-room sponge baths can be an intermediate step between a normal tub and complete replacement.

I don't have any experience with those companies, though...sorry! Good luck on your quest...helping people age in place is a very worthy goal, but it can also get expensive very quickly. There's often no painless way around it, no matter what you do.

herisf
10-17-11, 9:35am
As an alternative, you may want to think about converting the tub to a shower with no or very low lip. Then she can use a shower chair, and an attendant/helper could also get in there to help her. You would need safety bars, and a hand held shower attachment, though. And if she doesn't like showers, then the tub may be preferable. But a more open shower seems more flexible in the future.

Miss Cellane
10-17-11, 12:28pm
One thing I've heard is that some people don't like the walk-in bath much because you have to enter the tub, *then* turn on the water, fill the tub up, take your bath, and then sit there while the water drains out. So it takes a lot longer than a regular bath, because you are stuck sitting there while the tub fills and drains. So if you decide to go this route, check into how long it takes to fill and empty the tub.

A roll-in shower might be something to consider. And with the trend today being bigger and better showers in bathrooms, it could become a feature of the house if done correctly.

domestic goddess
10-17-11, 1:03pm
Thanks, everyone.
I had a roll in shower in my home (DH was a stroke patient), and think they are great, but I think my mom's bathroom is too small for that. It is really tiny!! And very cramped and crowded with just the usual bathroom stuff in it. Her tub is too narrow to accomodate a bath chair; I've already tried to do that. The same place that sells the walk-in tubs also sells a variety of low step showers, and we are looking at those, but most seem to be too big, while there are compact tubs; go figure. We could also get whirlpool in the tub; something that might make her arthritis feel better.
She is a tiny little lady, and can no longer climb over the side of the tub to get in. I've considered grab bars, but the problem is getting her legs high enough to get over the side of the tub. It is sometimes difficult for me, because there is so little room in there, and she has those @#%& shower doors, which I hate with a passion, and she loves. In fact, she wanted to put them on her walk-in tub, until I explained that the track would go over the top of the "walk-in" part, and then she wouldn't be able to walk in! Of course, she isn't as meticulous about cleaning them as she used to be.
When I go home (soon, now!) I'm going to look into getting her a home health aide to help with dressing, and bathing, if needed. Her arthritis is so bad that she has great difficulty getting dressed, and the dr. has told her that there is no point to any more shots in her shoulder, as there is no tissue there to absorb the medication. The shoulder has really gotten bad, quickly.
Oh, it is so hard to get older! She can't clean like she used to, and she sits all day and frets about it. That is the major part of what I am going to do when I am there, plus some financial stuff, and just getting her out a bit. My brother lives with her, and he is a great help, but he just doesn't understand that she likes to get out, go for a ride, stop for lunch, and sometimes wander around in a store for awhile, even if it is the grocery store.That's what I do: the social stuff. She doesn't hesitate to ask me to use the wheelchair, but she won't ask my db. Go figure.