Bathroom & Shower Wheelchair for Elderly

A shower chair for elderly is a specialized type of chair that is waterproof, designed for people who find regular showering tiresome, particularly aged individuals. It provides a sense of more relaxed and safer bathing because the chances of slips and falls are at a peak while showering.

An elderly bathing chair has rubberized, non-slip feet, and they are manufactured in such a way as to provide safety in watery surroundings. Many chairs are also available with backrests to provide extra support and comfort. Many chairs have armrests on both sides; those who do not have armrests provide a gripping feature on their sides to ensure a firm grasp while seated or getting up.

Types of Bathing Seats

Depending on the usage, bathing chairs are designed to be of various types, each offering its own unique benefits. A few typical and most commonly used bathing seats are described below:

• Shower Stool

A bathing stool is sustained by four rubberized feet and typically does not have any backrest or armrests. It is recommended for individuals who are having a little moveability problem and are recovering from a minor accident that might have compromised their mobility.

• Standard Shower Chair

This is the most frequently recommended type of chair that provides much space, support, and comfort while bathing. These chairs feature four feet made of rubber, a wide seat, a backrest, and armrests on each side.

• Rolling Shower Chair

Rotatable chairs greatly resemble the standardized version of bathing chairs with the additional benefit of wheels. These chairs are most suitable for people who are dependent on wheelchairs as their moving aid. A typical example can be a shower wheelchair.

Another example is a wheelchair commode serves as a means of hygiene maintenance easier for those who are unable to walk to the typical toilet seat. It features an opening inside the seat so the users can independently use the toilet without getting up.

• Bathtub Chair

Bathtub chairs for elderly are waterproof, quick to dry, and slip-resistant. These are mostly used for patients suffering from stroke, Parkinson’s disease, disabled, handicapped, or bedridden. This type of chair is also designed to get fixed or adhered to the walls of the bathtub, keeping the positioning fixed and providing firm support to the users.

• Transfer Bench

A bath transfer bench is designed for people with extreme moving limitations. These benches have long legs and are positioned in a way that two of the front legs are placed inside the bathtub while the other two rear legs stay outside. This helps the patient sit once in the shower and just move towards bathing. This reduces the effort of moving in and out of the bathtub.

Other types of shower seats are also accompanied by handicap accessories for shower, for example, shower capes, doors and curtains, collapsible water containers, toilet lifts, or elevators.

Considerable Features of a Shower Chair

It is recommended to consult an occupational therapist for a number of characteristics that need to be considered before investing in a bathing chair; the choice is subject to many factors including your health or medical diagnosis, short-term or long-term usage, and the space of your bathtub.

• Material

The material used to make shower stools and chairs should be water resistant, anti-rust or anti-corrosive, and durable enough to provide firmness in the water. It is important to note that the microbial load is also increased in damp conditions. Therefore, the shower chairs must foster an easy-to-clean feature so the water doesn’t stay on the seat and drains quickly. Additionally, the material used to construct the frames can’t be of metal rather aluminum or plastic is preferred to avoid unwanted tarnish or oxidation.

• Color

Often, bath chairs are designed for elders. And as most older individuals have a vision problem, it is recommended to prefer colored seats, like blue, which is most commonly available, rather than buying white or transparent chairs which may increase the likelihood of stumbles.

• Porous Seating

The shower seats must accompany appropriate perforates or should be of porous material to let the water drain after the patient is done with bathing. This feature ensures skin health and avoids the microbes from growing in damp conditions.

• Firm Support

Think about your physical strengths and weaknesses and purchase in accordance with them, the one in which you feel most comfortable. It is highly recommended to utilize chairs that have a backrest and armrests because they provide an extra sense of safety and security while bathing.

• Weight Capacity

Keeping in view your current body weight, invest in bathing chairs that offer maximum weight-bearing capacity. Bariatric or heavy-duty shower chairs are most appropriate for overweight or obese individuals.

• Magnitude

Most people buy their shower seats first. They often forget to take the magnitude of their shower place before making a purchase. First, confirm the size of your bathing area, then go for a bathing aid that best suits your body weight as well as gets fit in the tub.

• Height Adjustability

Many shower or bathing chairs comprise the feature of height adjustability because some people are too tall to be adjusted in standard-size stools. Therefore, it is suggested to look for seat height so the user can sit comfortably.

A bath chair for elderly is particularly helpful for those experiencing temporary or permanent disorders of mobility, as well as persons who find physical movement painful, that could be due to many possible reasons, for instance, being overweight or obese, musculoskeletal pain, or arthralgia, commonly known as joint pain. While you have to keep standing in regular showering, these helping chairs allow the users to enjoy a safe and comfortable bath.