Previous Article
BathAid Walk-In Tubs
Assisted Living and Home Care vs Walk-In Tubs
Jun 15, 2016
If you are a senior who's paying for home care services or assisted living but you want to have a quality bath without the help of others, a walk-in tub could be what you're looking for.
They are home to many features designed to make you feel cared for without inhibiting your independence or risking your safety. No traditional bathtub is capable of this. Where normal bathtubs fail to successfully keep a senior safe, comfortable, and relaxed, walk-in tubs succeed.
Tailored and built to fit your body measurements and your therapeutic needs, these senior tubs put the joy back in bathing while eliminating the need for a caregiver.
Non-skilled caregivers will cost at least $200 a month while certified nursing assistants will cost at least $400 a month. If a senior with mobility challenges installs a walk-in bathtub, they could theoretically eliminate the need for a caregiver altogether and save thousands of dollars over the course of three, two, or even one year.
Aid for Home Care and Assisted Living
It is, however, easier to get insured for assisted living and home care than it is to purchase or install a walk-in bathtub. The reason being that Medicare and Medicaid (with the exception of a few subcategories) consider the tub to be a luxury item, and not "durable medical equipment" (DME) as per Medicare's guidelines for eligibility.
It is difficult to get Medicare/Medicaid coverage for home care and assisted living but it is more probable that you'll get some form of aid under certain conditions, such as the ones in the table below.
| The Conditions for Medicare/Medicaid Insurance of Home Care and Assisted Living | ||
| Personal Home Care | Medicare |
|
| Medicaid |
|
|
| Veterans Aid |
|
|
| Assisted Living | Medicare |
|
| Medicaid |
|
|
| Veterans Aid |
|
|
Learn more about Medicare, Medicaid, and VA coverage of walk-in tubs.
Comparing the Costs of Walk-In Tubs with That of Medical Assistance
Walk-in tubs with the standard safety features and some hydrotherapy options cost between $1,800 and $2,500. Doubling these numbers immediately puts you in the wheelchair accessible tier of walk-in bathtub models. If you're wheelchair-bound and face trouble when trying to transfer from seat to seat, the grab bars located in easy-to-reach areas of the tub's rim can aid you upon entry and exit. You can get a very accessible bariatric bathtub for $2,600 - $5,000 which includes all the safety features walk-in tubs are famous for (i.e. textured anti-slip floor, grab bars, sturdy tub body, low-threshold entry, wheelchair accessibility, anti-scald technology, etc.).
Installation costs of walk-in tubs vary depending on the size of the project and falls between $500 and $8,000. Most installations of these tubs don't require a renovation or remodel of your bathroom since they are very easy to install that the internet is flooded with DIY guides.
Find out how you can get the cheapest accessible bathtubs on the market here.
Considering that the average costs for home care and assisted living are between $2,500 and $3,200 a month, you're looking at annual costs of up to $30,000 - $38,304. If you install a walk-in tub in your home, you can effectively reduce the hours you need from a caregiver, and get some of that money back over a few years, all the while having a quality bath in a comfortable and therapeutic tub.
