Improving Quality of Life for Seniors

There are times when the simplest pleasures we used to enjoy, are not something we can accomplish, for instance, what do you do if your legs aren't working the way they once were, and you don't have the ability to get in and out of the bathtub. Well, there are several options, one being a walk in tub.

Walk In tubs are bathtubs with a built in door! These tubs have a very low step, so it's much easier to get in and out of the bathtub. Most come with a built-in seat, depending on the model you choose.

You enter the tub, fill it up, give yourself a scrub, drain, and exit. Simple, and easy!

Now although they are very good for people with mobility problems, they do have a few disadvantages, one, you have to be in the tub to fill it, and two, you have to stay in the tub until it drains. These aren't necessarily big problems, just what I would consider time consuming.

One more problem with walking in tubs, is that if you happen to fall, depending where you fell, you could either prevent the door from opening, and trapping yourself inside.

I personally believe the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. A convenient way for a senior to have a warm, comfortable, and relaxing bath. Just like anything else when we get to the senior years, we often have to take precautions to ensure our safety, so if you have mobility problems, a walk in tub could be the answer for you to have a bath. If need be, you could always have someone standing by in case you ever did need assistance.

Walk in tubs come in various styles and price ranges, and many of them come with optional whirlpool jets for a nice relaxing “water massage”.

Some of us can't afford the luxury of walking in tubs, so to accommodate those who can't, there are bath tub stools and benches available. These sit right in the tub, and if you are mobile enough, can enter the tub, and sit on a bench or stool and take a shower. There are many styles and sizes available.

If you don't have the mobility to enter the tub on your own, there are specific benches that fit over the tub, and the seat slides from the outside of the tub, to inside the tub. There is nothing so refreshing as a nice hot shower! Of course you can also fill the tub up and take what my mom always called a sponge bath!

If you are able to stand on your own, a walk in shower is also an option. They come in various styles, and sizes, and allow the user an easy way to get in and out. Much like the way you get into a walk in tub, except the shower door threshold is at a bare minimum, meaning maybe an inch or two at the most, making access very easy.

The throne, mans recluse when he needs time to think, can be a hazard when you have trouble getting up or down. That is when toilet bars come in handy. They fasten to the wall, on whatever side of the toilet you may need or want them, providing you with a stable way to get up and down on or off the toilet. They are height and length adjustable as well!

Along with the safety bars for toilet use, there are safety bars that can be used in the bathtub as well. Allowing you more ease and of course stability for getting in and out of the tub. They allow those of us who still have the strength and mobility a little more independence when we want to take a bath.

If you are a senior, or even someone who has suffered some injury that has limited your mobility, hopefully one of the above mentioned devices can be of some assistance to you.A good quality of life is important to all of us, we should always make use of those things that can give us that good quality of life.