Bath Lifts | Bathing Solutions | Newcastle | Stoke | Staffordshire

Elderly Bathing Solutions and Bath Lifts in Stoke on Trent and Newcastle under Lyme

Call us 01782 611 411! 

Continue Enjoying a Long, Warm Soak

Walk in baths and bath lifts available to view at our Stoke on Trent Showroom

There’s nothing more refreshing than a long, warm soak in the bath.  It’s about much more than just getting clean.  Recent research from Yale University published in Psychology Today suggests that the warm feeling we get from a bath or any other warm comforter also makes us feel happier and less lonely.  Who’d have thought?  The problem comes if due to old age or disability that getting into the tub becomes a real struggle or even dangerous.  That is why we have walk-in baths and showers or a simple bath lift which can enable you to have a soak in the bath even if you can't lift your leg over the side.  The bath lift will help you in and out.

We have both a walk in bath and a bath lift on display in our everyday independent living aids showroom. 

Call us today to find out more - Call us 01782 611 411! 

A lengthy soak in the bath has also long been an aid for relieving aching muscles too.  And of course immersing yourself in a warm bath in a steam filled room is good for your skin and pores keeping them healthy.

Imagine not being able to enjoy a long, lingering bath or worse still, not being able to get in and out of the bath.  This is often the case for those with disabilities or those who are less nimble due to ageing, so a little help is needed.

There are a number of aids from bath seats combined with grab handles to swivel chairs to help users get in and out of the bath.  However if mobility is a real problem, then a bath lift is probably the answer.

Here 's how to find us:-

N.B. Bath boards usually just fit across the top of the bath as do bath seats.  Both allow the user to sit and then lower themselves into the water or indeed, sit on the board/seat and wash from there if they don’t feel safe lowering themselves into the water.

Here's Keith demonstrating a bath lift - an inexpensive alternative to a walk in bath.

The first bath lift

It was as recently as 1980 that Dave Garman invented the first pneumatic-based bath lift.  He was inspired to invent this aid when his own ageing parents were having problems getting in and out of the bath and there seemed to be nothing on the market to help.

It was an instant success and won a TV award for innovation almost immediately.  He was recognised for an industry award (British Healthcare Trades Association) about 5 years ago when he was 85 for his invention.

History of bathing

Taking a bath seems perfectly natural to most of us but bathing hasn’t always been a necessity or taken in the privacy of your own home.  Here’s a brief history:-
As far back as 2000 BC, the Egyptians loved bathing.
In fact, Egyptians obsessed with bathing and thought foreigners dirty.
The first known heated bath was in Egypt in 600 AD
Romans knew that cleanliness reduced disease
Roman aqueducts brought clean water to their public bath houses
Many towns all over Europe had bath houses in the Middle Age
Edward III installed a bathroom in the Palace of Westminster in the 14^th Century

Public domain

Others who could afford it had wooden tubs which were manually filled with water.
In Tudor times, people sometimes used the rivers to bathe in during the summer months.
Henry VIII had a bathroom at Hampton Court Palace.
From 1800 people used portable metal tubs.
In Victorian times some middle class homes had bathrooms.
It wasn’t until the 1900 that homes in general began to get bathrooms and then not all. 
Some houses didn’t get bathrooms until half way through the 20^th Century.

Bath lifts

Getting into the bath with the greatest of ease ... no, you don’t need a flying trapeze, just a bath lift.  With personal bathing a fairly recent thing for the masses, bath lifts are a relatively modern invention.  Most bath lifts are operated either hydraulically or by battery power.  They can be taken in and out of the bath so that other people can use the tub.

They are usually seat shaped i.e. with a seat and back rest.  Their highest point is level with the bath top so that access is relatively easy.  Once the person has sat on the seat and their legs are in the bath then it can be lowered into the water.  Some bath lifts have reclining backs so that users can get to immerse as much of their bodies as possible.

Battery operated bath lifts will need regular charging.  Some have a safety feature which will not allow the bath lift to lower into the water unless there is enough power to come back out again.  This is very important as no one wants to be stuck in the water!

Bath lifts do make it possible for those with mobility difficulties to retain some independence and bathe alone.  For those who need care, it is easier for carers to work with a bath lift rather than having to physically help someone into the bath when slipping or back injuries to the carer can be a risk.

Many bath lifts are ‘mobile’ so they can fold up when out of the bath and not in use.  There are also bath lifts that are fixed to a vertical pole positioned outside of the bath.  This allows the user to transfer onto the seat and then swivel round and lowered into the bath.  Battery operated or electric versions can usually be operated by the user with a handset.  If the bath lift is operated manually (hydraulically), they usually have a handle that needs turning and are intended for a carer to use.

There are overhead track sling hoists for those who are severely immobile.  These hoist the user right up and then immerse them into the water, and would be operated by a carer.

Types of bath lift

The seats of bath lifts should be comfortable and easy to clean but there are several different materials used to make them.

Moulded plastic is lightweight and easy to clean and pretty sturdy

Polished wood is comfortable and easy to slide onto and clean.  The polish can wear away and may need attention with wear

Wooden seat with cork top feels warm to sit on and the textured surface will mean bathers don’t slip off.  However users will need to be able to lift themselves off and wear may make it more difficult to clean

Painted or plastic coated wood are easy to slide onto and clean.  Surfaces may chip in time and will need attention or even resurfacing

Coated metal is easy to slide onto and will withstand long use.  Metal coated boards are also stronger and heavier and will take larger weights

Padded seats add extra comfort especially for those in pain or the very thin

Slatted or perforated seats allow water to drain away easily and are less slippery

Cut away fronts allow easier personal washing

This factsheet will give you much more information about bath lifts, alternative baths and other bathing aids, and when you are ready to buy then why not come and see a walk in bath in the showroom at Wolstanton? 

They can be designed to fit into a small or larger space so you could raing in your measurements or call into the showroom to have a look.  Also we can get our approved bathroom installation company to come and give you a no-obligation quote for you to consider as well. 
Our number is 01782 611 411