Handicapped Shower Stalls

Handicapped shower stalls are one of the necessities of a good handicap bathroom layout especially for people with disabilities, wheelchair users, the elderly, people with debilitating illnesses and conditions and anyone with mobility issues. So let's take a brief overview look at what a handicap shower enclosure entails and what makes it different from a regular shower cubicle.

Well the first comparison to be made between a regular shower cubicle and a handicap shower stall is the size. By necessity, a disabled shower stall is much larger than its regular alternative. This is because it needs to be able to accommodate a wheelchair and make it possible to wheel it in, turn it around and then wheel it out again once the user has finished.

The next big difference is that a regular shower will have a raised base and a lip or water container to keep the water inside the enclosure, whereas a handicap shower will have a base that is flush with the floor of the bathroom and either a collapsible water retainer or water stopper that is flexible or a gully covered with a fine mesh grille so that a wheelchair can enter and exit without experiencing a bump or having to negotiate a step up or down.

Another thing you'll notice where the two will differ is that a regular shower nearly always has a closable shower door or a curtain and a handicap shower has its front wide open. It can of course be fitted with a heavy duty shower curtain as one of the handicap shower accessories that are available, but wheelchair users tend not to like this addition as it can be a nuisance to get past.

The final difference we'¡ll lok at here is that a handicapped shower stall will be fitted out with grab rails and also a handicap shower chair so that the user can take a shower in the sitting position with grab rails to help them transfer from a wheelchair to the shower seat and back again. The grab bars also act as steadying handles and are there to assist with movement as well as to maximize safety.

So there you see the differences between the two types of shower enclosures and why things are the way they are with regards to handicapped shower stalls.

My Health Today

Handicap Shower Accessories

It would be remiss of me to write a health related blog without talking about mobility issues that concern people with disabilities. There are many of these and cramming them all together in one post would not do them justice, so I believe it is a good idea to dedicate several posts to this side of the health spectrum that not too many bloggers cover in any great detail.

This post will get things started by looking at one room in the home in particular that can be a welcoming haven for getting cleaned up or a nightmare collection of accidents waiting to happen. I mean the bathroom. An in particular the shower enclosure in the bathroom.

This is all about the need for maximum accessibility, especially for wheelchair users to be able to get in and out of the shower easily without mishap and to be able to enjoy a shower in comfort with ample grab rails to keep the ship steady.

Handicap shower accessories come in all sorts and are designed especially for the needs of people with disabilities. There are shower seats that are specially designed to be non slip, sturdy and be able to take the weight of a grown adult without collapsing as some cheaper shower seats are prone to do. There are shower curtains of good quality that are made to last while being resistant to stains, heat, tearing etc and shower curtain rails strong and sturdy enough to take their additional weight.

There are many different types of shower soap and shampoo holders, racks, towel racks and holders, permanent non-fogging mirrors, molded water retainers that are flexible for wheelchairs to easily run over but will keep the water inside the shower enclosure where it should be.

All these things are necessary handicap shower accessories that make the using of a shower that much more civilized and comfortable for people who need them. Ok, that's where we'll leave it for this outing, but in future posts I'll be looking at other mobility issues. See you then.

My Health Today