Bath aids are of great help to patients or the elderly with mobility limitations. They help them use the bathroom independently and efficiently. Out of the several bath aids available in the market, a shower seat holds great importance.
 

Several types of shower seats are available in the market for you to choose from. However, you need to pick the right type to ensure that it serves your purpose.
 

So, let's discuss in detail the several factors you need to consider for the right selection of this important bath aid.
 

• Weight Bearing Capacity

The weight-bearing capacity plays a crucial role in the selection of the right variant. The model you choose should be strong enough to support your weight.
 

The standard model is ideal for people with normal body weight. However, for people with slightly higher body weight than normal, a bariatric model may be a better choice.
 

While a shower stool can bear a weight of up to 100 kg, it is generally light and is an ideal fit for those who need to sit down only when feeling tired during showering. If you don't feel dizzy or require support when lifting yourself up, you can go for a shower stool.
 

If you need more support for sitting or lifting yourself up, a shower chair may be a more suitable choice.
 

Again, a shower seat is of different types like folding, non-folding, or wall-mounted.
 

A folding or wall-mounted variant may be ideal for little spaces. It folds down easily when not in use and hence doesn't require much storage space.
 

Further, a wall-mounted variant may be useful for people who have balance issues (like those rehabilitating from a stroke or half-paralysis). So, even if people tend to lean too much on one side than the other, the chair doesn't topple because of its permanent position. This can prevent possible fall-injuries.
 

• Design

Design is also a crucial factor to consider while selecting the right variant. While some variants have non-tilt (or upright) back supports, the other variants have tilting back supports. As a rule of thumb, the 'fixed or non-tilt back' variant may be ideal for those who don't require much assistance in showering and can hold their back in an upright position for long.
 

If a person needs assistance in showering or bathing, a tilt-back variant may be more suitable. Such tilt-back variants generally are more suited to places like hospitals and care centres.
 

• Purpose

Your purpose also determines your choice. If you want a bath aid that can help you assist you in the toilet as well, a dual-purpose shower commode chair may be an ideal choice. The additional feature of the commode chair eliminates the need for transferring individuals with mobility limitations to a commode chair separately.
 

If you don't require the additional commode functionality, you may go for the standard shower chair.
 

• Sitting Surface

The sitting surface of the variant you choose should be ideally slip-resistant, water-resistant, and durable. Moreover, you may be well off with a padded and easy-to-clean sitting surface. Many variants come with drainage holes in the sitting surface to facilitate faster drying by preventing the build-up of water.

If an individual is suffering from skin issues and is prone to pressure ulcers, it is recommendable to use a variant with a padded sitting surface. In other cases, a non-padded or contoured sitting surface may also work.

Tips to Take Care of a Shower Seat

Purchasing the right variant may not suffice alone. To make sure that your investment doesn't go waste and your seat lasts long, you can follow several care tips such as:
 

• Avoid using harsh detergents to clean your chair.
• Wipe off the residues from beneath the chair after every use to keep it clean.
• Let your chair dry between two uses.
• Follow the maintenance instructions in the user manual that comes with your chair properly.
• If you find any signs of damage or rusting in any part, replace that part immediately. Generally, all shower seats come with a stainless material; but there is no harm in checking once for reassurance.
   

In a Nutshell

Though a shower chair is one of the important bath aids, its wrong choice may fall flat. Therefore, ensuring that you choose the right variant is highly recommendable.

Being aware of the range of bathroom disability aids is important for people looking to retain an independent life in old age. Keeping oneself clean and being able to wash alone is something we all want to do for the duration of our lives. With the onset of certain physical conditions, this is more difficult. Thankfully, special equipment and adaptations are available which make things easier.

Getting in and out of the bath

Many people lose flexibility and strength as they get older. This can make the process of getting in and out of the bath difficult. A bath step placed next to the outside wall of the bath can make it less of an obstacle.

Similarly, a bath seat inside the bath itself raises the height of its floor. This reduces the distance of travel getting and out and puts less strain on the body.

A support rail fixed to the wall next to the bath is also helpful. This provides a point of contact which again helps with lowering or raising oneself. There are also rails available which clamp onto the side of the bathtub.

These have some advantages over wall-mounted grab rails. Not only do they assist with the process of bath entry and exit. As they are usually about waist height, they also help when climbing the bath step, or even standing next to the bath drying off.

Aids to assist with one’s balance are important in bathroom or wet-room settings. Because of the hard wet surfaces, people can be prone to slipping in this environment. While grab rails fixed to the walls or bath itself are useful, large vertical poles are also an option.

Floor-to-ceiling support poles

These fit to the entire height of the room from floor to ceiling and are sometimes equipped with horizontal support rails attached. They provide a purpose-built support point on which the user can lean, assisting their balance. The advantage of this sort of installation is that its position is flexible and does not need to be wall-mounted.

This type of fixture requires installation by a qualified tradesman. It is crucial to use fixings suitable for the specific flooring and ceiling of the bathroom concerned. A floor to ceiling pole is useful to help getting up from the toilet, in and out of the bath or just for support while getting dressed or undressed.

A tradesman is also necessary for a wall mounted shower seat. These fit within shower cubicles and are ideal for those of have difficulty standing without support. These typically have slatted or perforated seats, allowing excess water to drain off. This reduces the chances of the user slipping. Many have patterned indentations on the sitting surface to serve the same purpose.

Many people prefer a wall mounted shower seat because it is easy fold out of the way when not in use. Most designs allow the seat to flip up against the wall. This saves the bother of moving a free-standing stool in and out of the cubicle as and when required.

Some models have fold-down legs which drop beneath the seat when it folds out from the wall. These tend to have a greater weight-bearing capacity than those without legs. They may also feel slightly more stable when in use. It is obviously crucial that you know the weight limit of any wall mounted shower seat before sitting on it.

Bathroom disability aids like perching stools are also useful if you struggle to stand for sustained periods. These are useful for the bathroom sink, for example. Perching stools are tall chairs with a tilted sitting surface. This allows the user to ‘semi-sit’ as they brush their teeth or use the bathroom mirror. Some have armrests and backs, offering extra support. They all have non-slip feet, meaning they will not slide around on tiled bathroom floors.

Perching stools are also useful in the kitchen. Some people have difficult standing unsupported while preparing food at the work-top, or washing up at the sink.