Provide Bath Safety for Wheelchair Patients...did van conversions for 13 years, but a year and half...
3
HMEBusiness |July 2008 |hme-business.com Points to take away: • Providing bath safety also means preserving dignity. • Assess how greatly the bathroom will need to be modified. • For major modifications, partner with specialized contractors who understand special needs. • Considering alternatives that relocate only the shower. • Try the products out yourself. Get a feel for them. • Learn from your patients. Safety means dignity. In helping create a safe bathing place for mobility impaired patients, a provider isn’t just preventing an accident, they are letting that patient lead an independent life. “Forget the fact that it’s going to get them clean; it’s the fact that they have a little privacy, a little dignity,” Privette says. Assess the necessary bathroom modifications. Clients that can use the bathroom on their own will most likely be parapelegics or single or double amputees who can get into the room and swing themselves or transfer themselves as needed using grab bars and similar supports. “They have the upper body strength,” Privette says. But the bathroom has to be large enough for them to move. That often becomes the sticking point as that might well mean modifying the bathroom. A complete bathroom remodel can range between $15,000 and $30,000, Privette says. Simple fixes might be to remove cupboards or install pedestal or hanging sinks, but often the remodel will require actually enlarging the room. This is because Most of us take bathing for granted. We never think twice about the ease we have in cleaning up each morning. For some wheelchair users and patients with severe mobility limitations, a daily shower might not be a viable option. The type, nature and severity of a patient’s disability all impact exactly how limited his or her bathing will be. Some of these limitations are rooted in more logistical concerns, but most come down to safety. One provider that has gained a good deal of familiarity in providing bath safety to wheelchair patients is Gaithersburg, Md.’s Ramp and Roll. Jim Privette, Ramp and Roll’s owner, had been working with companies that did van conversions for 13 years, but a year and half ago he and his wife Gail became increasingly interested in bath safety. After working with patients in wheelchairs for so long, and understanding their home situations, and after learning more about bath safety solutions that could help those patients, Ramp and Roll entered the bath safety arena. Jim Privette shares some key observations: Learn More Abledata, at www.abledata.com, provides an excellent resource for learning from patients with special bathing needs. Their forums abound with useful product information and feedback from the patients that actually use those products. The National Association of Home Builders provides special designations for contractors who want to specialize in serving patients with homecare needs. Read more on the asso- ciation’s website, www.nahb.org. Provide Bath Safety for Wheelchair Patients
Transcript of Provide Bath Safety for Wheelchair Patients...did van conversions for 13 years, but a year and half...
HMEBusiness | July 2008 | hme-business.com
Points to take away:• Providing bath safety also means
preserving dignity.
• Assess how greatly the bathroomwill need to be modified.
• For major modifications, partnerwith specialized contractors whounderstand special needs.
• Considering alternatives that relocate only the shower.
• Try the products out yourself. Geta feel for them.
• Learn from your patients.
Safety means dignity. In helpingcreate a safe bathing place for mobilityimpaired patients, a provider isn’t justpreventing an accident, they are lettingthat patient lead an independent life.“Forget the fact that it’s going to get themclean; it’s the fact that they have a littleprivacy, a little dignity,” Privette says.
Assess the necessary bathroommodifications. Clients that can usethe bathroom on their own will mostlikely be parapelegics or single ordouble amputees who can get intothe room and swing themselves or
transfer themselves as needed usinggrab bars and similar supports. “Theyhave the upper body strength,”Privette says. But the bathroom has tobe large enough for them to move.That often becomes the sticking pointas that might well mean modifyingthe bathroom.
A complete bathroom remodel canrange between $15,000 and $30,000,Privette says. Simple fixes might be toremove cupboards or install pedestalor hanging sinks, but often theremodel will require actuallyenlarging the room. This is because
Most of us take bathing for granted. We never think twiceabout the ease we have in cleaning up each morning. Forsome wheelchair users and patients with severe mobilitylimitations, a daily shower might not be a viable option.
The type, nature and severity of a patient’s disability allimpact exactly how limited his or her bathing will be.Some of these limitations are rooted in more logisticalconcerns, but most come down to safety.
One provider that has gained a good deal of familiarity inproviding bath safety to wheelchair patients isGaithersburg, Md.’s Ramp and Roll. Jim Privette, Rampand Roll’s owner, had been working with companies thatdid van conversions for 13 years, but a year and half agohe and his wife Gail became increasingly interested inbath safety. After working with patients in wheelchairs forso long, and understanding their home situations, andafter learning more about bath safety solutions that couldhelp those patients, Ramp and Roll entered the bathsafety arena. Jim Privette shares some key observations:
Learn More
Abledata, at www.abledata.com, provides anexcellent resource for learning from patientswith special bathing needs. Their forumsabound with useful product information andfeedback from the patients that actually usethose products.
The National Association of Home Buildersprovides special designations for contractorswho want to specialize in serving patientswith homecare needs. Read more on the asso-ciation’s website, www.nahb.org.
Provide Bath Safety forWheelchair Patients
g51
SAMPLE
(#17441) Reprinted with permission from the July 2008 issue of HME Business. Copyright 2008 1105 Media, Inc.For more information about reprints from HME Business, please contact PARS International Corp. at 212-221-9595.
so many bathrooms are so crowded to begin with. Othermodifications include moving the toilet and removing thetub and installing a roll-in shower, which requires a changein drainage system and other plumbing modifications.
Partner with the pros. Obviously most HME providers donot staff certified and licensed plumbers, electricians andcontractors. They need to forge relationships with the rightexpertise. Fortunately, the National Association of HomeBuilders offers a designation for builders who specialize inthese types of modifications. Moreover that designation isgeared toward ensuring that the contractor works to under-stand and match the solution to the patient need and organizethe work in such a way as to minimize disruption. Clearly suchcontractors are key referral partners for any provider offeringbath safety to wheelchair patients.
Relocate only the shower. Some patients are simply unableto get to their bathroom to bathe and for one reason or another(cost, they live in a rental, etc.) are unable to physically movetheir bathing facilities via a remodel. For many, the last thingthey want is the embarrassment of having someone help themto their bathroom to bathe.
One solution for accomplishing that is a portable shower,such as the FAWSsit fold-away wheelchair shower, which
provides patients with a private place to bathe on their own.Privette was a fan of the product in June of 2007, whenRamp and Roll began carrying the item, but he didn’t get acomplete impression of its value until complications relatedto a knee surgery he had made it impossible for him tobathe in his upstairs bathroom. “Lo and behold what did Ihave in my garage?” Privette recalls. “The shower. We set itup in the kitchen and that’s when I got really, really excitedabout the product.”
Get hands-on experience. Using the equipment, such asPrivette’s experience with the FAWSsit, is key in providingknowledgeable service, according to Privette. “If I was going torecommend something to somebody, I’d want to go out andkick the tires,” he says. “Do a little self testing, and make surethose grab bars are going to be what the patient needs.”
Learn from the patients. Another way to seek out referrals,bath safety solutions, and reliable, grassroots feedback from thepatients themselves is to visit the Abledata web site, whichprovides a variety of services and forums for patients. “Thedisability community is a very tight-knit community,” Privettesays. “They’re on the web, they’re blogging, they’re emailingeach other; always looking for something that can help themget to the next level.” n
g51
SAMPLE
