Bathing is an essential element of daily care, and it is important to ensure that it is a safe and pleasant experience for residents and care staff. Dennis Goodes, managing director of The Assisted Bathing Company, provides some useful guidance on bathroom planning
Most residential and/or care homes have two choices when it comes to catering for residents bathing requirements, and these are determined by the space available. Whether you have en-suite facilities or a specified multi-use bathroom, the choices available to you can be quite different.
If you are planning to install a bath, you should ensure you allow enough space to manoeuvre a wheelchair or transfer system, such as a mobile hoist, around the seat end. If you are buying a bath with a built-in seat lift, the seat will swing out either to the left or to the right, so you will need to decide which side is best for access and the lateral transfer of the resident onto the bath seat. Generally speaking a square metre would be sufficient, but remember to look out for possible obstructions where the seat swings outwards.
There are many practical functions to consider when planning a setting for safe bathing. If residents are capable ofbathing independently, or have en-suite facilities, you may choose a fixed height bath, but you should opt for a powered traverse seat. A seat with a powered traverse action allows the bather to enter and exit the bath independently without requiring assistance from care staff.
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