Bath tub conversion

brs

Seeking comments from those who've converted the traditional bath tub to a walk in tub vs. a walk in shower. Thank you

Jeanne C.

We converted to a walk in shower with a built in seat that folds down. My advice is not to get the built in seat (a free standing one would be much more flexible). Definitely get an adjustable shower head. The one we have slides up/down, turns, and can be handheld. The walk in shower made a huge difference for me - much MUCH easier to bathe my husband

ronda b

Had mine done hoping DH would shower more before he diagnosis. No. Should have known then something was wrong when he started refusing showers. Hindsight. Now he completely refuses to shower. Does the wet wipes with soap.

ghphotog

I've been thinking about the same thing in case for some reason I have to bring my DW home from MC. She freaked out and was hysterical when I would try to shower her at home. It also became more dangerous and precarious trying to get her in and out safely. No way I can take care of her anymore at home but I someday might have to attempt the impossible but not without a lot of safety mods and incliding making the house geri-chair friendly. My house is not wheelchair friendly.

brs

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/225887#Comment_225887

Thanks for the info. May I know the brand please and how did you select the installer ?

Jeanne C.

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/225937#Comment_225937

That I can't help with. The installation was a benefit of my husband's longterm Medicaid. No clue about the brand and it was installed by whoever the insurance company sent.

harshedbuzz

@ronald71111 ??

brs

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/225963#Comment_225963

TThank you

Pat6177

We removed a large tub and shower stall and had a walk in shower done. We had our handy man do the job. We did this before the dementia was so obvious but we knew that it would be helpful as we aged. So glad we did it. I agree with JeanneC not to put in a permanent seat. We use a bedside commode as the seat in the shower. That works well except for the small holes in the legs to adjust the height of the seat. Water gets in there and makes a mess. I have recently wrapped the legs in Saran Wrap. Also, agree with JeanneC to get a hand held shower wand. My DH does not like having the water coming down on him. There is no step into the shower. My only regret is that we did not put any kind of door on the shower. The wall that was added has a 3 step drop so the opening at the entrance in too low to really put in a shower rod for a shower curtain. This doesn’t interfere with showering DH. And some day I will get it fixed. I’ve never used a walk in tub but I would think you would lose a lot of flexibility.

JoseyWales

My mother in law passed from dementia, and was cared for at home. My sister in law said that trying to bathe her in the tub was the most difficult part toward the end. She suggested we put in a walk in shower when DH was diagnosed.

I didn't, but it was on my list of things to "maybe" do. I did add handles for getting in and out. Those came in REALLY handy for me when I hurt my knee. I ended up placing DH before our bathtub became a big issue. I'm glad I never put in the shower.

Donr

I converted my wife's tub into a walk-in shower. The shower is so much easier and safer than the tub. I used Bathfitters for the conversion.

Katie Roo

My DH lost one leg years ago, so we adapted our bathroom for him. He prefers to keep the tub, and use a bath chair. He recently lost his other leg, and we discussed a walk in shower. For him, it's easier for him to wheel into the bathroom and transfer to the bath chair as opposed to transferring to a seat in a walk in shower.. An Occupational Therapist also agreed this was the best way for him. We are blessed that he can still shower by himself. Our circumstances are different than most but, even so, I think if he still had his legs and I had to help him bathe, it would be easier with the bath chair. We also put in the hand held shower head and put an additional holder so it would be close to him. I would suggest you consider all the ins and outs (what I call logistics) in getting your LO in the shower and get them bathed. Practice various scenarios and that should help you decide what is best for your LO. Good luck!

jfkoc

Be very careful of slick floors and seats.

ronda b

Had i have what is suppose to be slip resistant. It can still be a little slippery.

elainechem

I moved us into a new home because of hubby's EOAD. One reason that I chose this house was because the bathroom was already pretty disability accessible. The shower was a walk-in type, but hubby had a bit of a problem. He would trip over the little step that you have to get over to get into the shower. I decided to use part of his LTC benefits to pay for a zero barrier shower floor. It worked very well.