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Six Insurance Plans, Grants, and Deductions that Could Cover Walk-in Tubs
Ten Drawbacks of Regular Bathtubs for Seniors
Feb 15, 2016
Seniors with mobility limitations struggle with regular bathtubs even with the assistance of caregivers. Here's a brief look at how the standard bathtub does very little to help seniors regain their bathing independence and mobility.
- High threshold entry.
Traditional bathtub walls can be as high as 14" - 30" from the floor, leaving seniors no choice but to use an additional piece of technology or a helper to climb in.
- Require a guardian.
Guardians or caregivers usually have to force seniors to abide by a certain bathing schedule that makes bathing a very stringent and joyless experience.
- Include little to no safety features.
Most bathtub designs have a one-size-fits-all approach to safety, where grab bars can be hard to reach, the rim can be too high, and floors can be very slippery.
- Seniors are more prone to accidents.
Most slip-and-fall accidents happen predominantly among seniors while they're showering or bathing.
- Requires slide-in seat, power lift or power chair for seniors.
The combined cost of a regular bathtub and a power lift or power chair can easily exceed the cost of a quality walk-in tub loaded with features. A senior can also find a slide-in seat to be very uncomfortable and a cause for hazard.
- No water and air massage feature.
Soaking is the only therapeutic feature that regular tubs have.
- Uncomfortable and inconvenient.
The impersonal design that characterizes regular bathtubs does not support the fragile body of a senior and can often cause lower back pains if they try to have a bath.
- Bathtubs occupy entirely too much space.
Seniors don't need that much space to get what they truly need out of a shower or bath.
- Impersonal design.
Seniors prefer things they need and regularly use to be in easy-to-reach places. In this way, conventional bathtubs fail to offer the level of convenience, care, and comfort that the elderly truly need.
- High-maintenance.
Because of their excessively large sizes, it takes a lot of effort and time to clean a regular bathtub.
