Mrs A approached us for a new shower solution. She had been using a bath for many years, but her reducing mobility was beginning to make it difficult to use the bath safely. Sadly, her condition would only make using the bathroom harder to manage in future.
A home visit to assess needs
First we arranged for one of the Absolute Mobility Advisors to visit Mrs A. This allowed us to view the current bathroom configuration, chat to her about her bathing needs and discuss the most suitable options for improving her bathing experience.
A tailored bathing solution
As future mobility needs were a key concern, our Advisor recommended removing the bath and replacing it with a level access shower with a shower seat.
Level access is an ideal long-term solution as it eliminates trip hazards and makes it easier to walk in and out of the shower area. A shower seat provides the bather somewhere to sit comfortably whilst showering. Grab rails were also added to give extra assistance when using the shower.
The process of removing a bath and replacing with an easy access shower
In order to remove a bath, a line of tiles just above the bath are taken off. Below the tile line and the top of the former bath, is exposed plaster/brickwork. To improve the appearance of the bathroom it’s often a good idea to renew all tiles in the bathroom with waterproof cladding or new tiling throughout.
However, when customers would like to keep their existing tiles, such as for sentimental or budgetary reasons, it is possible to keep the tiles above a specific line and renew the tiling where the bath was removed.
Mrs A wished to keep her tiles, so we used an existing tile border line as the cut off line for removing the tiles within the new shower area. Below the border, we fitted a new choice of tile to complement and contrast with the existing.
A pump was required for the shower waste and this was housed in box work at one end with an access hatch and cover, as shown in the pictures below. We also fitted new waterproof flooring and a new basin/vanity unit, as well as refit the customer’s toilet and bidet.
Get in touch for help with renovating your bathroom
If you or a loved on are finding the bath difficult to use, or have an existing shower with a high, awkward step, and would like a level access shower like the one showcased here, please get in touch with Absolute Mobility or on 01491 411 041.
