About Handicap Showers

If your mobility is significantly impaired, you are not necessarily restricted from using a shower. Even someone with severe limitations can use a handicap shower, which is specifically adapted to his needs. If you think you need a handicap shower or if you know someone who does, there are a few things you should consider before making costly renovations.

Misconceptions

Making a shower handicap accessible involves more than simply adding grab bars and a shower chair. Today, handicap bathrooms must meet certain guidelines for even the most disabled users, such as those with quadriplegia or advanced musculoskeletal diseases. These bathrooms require showers without thresholds that have stable seating and fixtures with adapted controls. Ideally, there should be room in a handicap bathroom to completely turn a wheelchair.

Features

One of the key differences between a handicap shower and an ordinary walk-in shower is the lack of a threshold. This allows access for a wheelchair or a rolling shower chair. The floor is angled toward a central drain, keeping water from spilling into the next room. Some handicap showers also feature a built-in seat, which usually folds up to allow more room for wheelchairs to enter and exit. All accessible showers should contain grab bars in convenient locations, close to where you will sit or stand. Finally, a hand-held shower with accessible controls allows you to direct water as needed, eliminating the need to move in and out of the stream.

Size

According to the Americans with Disability Act, or ADA, a roll-in shower should be a minimum of 60 square inches. This allows enough room for an average wheelchair or rolling shower chair to turn completely without hitting the sides. While the ADA only requires commercial properties to use these dimensions for their handicap showers, they are highly recommended for wheelchair users in private residences as well. However, if you can transfer to a shower seat from your wheelchair, this is not necessary.

Considerations

Before you add a handicap shower to your bathroom, consider your present and potential future needs. You may be able to stand without assistance today, but will you be able to do so in a few years' time? Decide whether you need a standard shower chair or a more specialized model. Place grab bars at the shower entrance, as well as where you are naturally inclined to reach as you shower. Finally, be sure the shower head and any shelves are easily reachable from where you will be standing or sitting. Following these guidelines not only increases your safety; it also saves energy by limiting unnecessary movements.

Benefits

A handicap shower allows you to have access to thorough hygiene even if you have limited mobility. The inclusion of safety features such as lower thresholds, grab bars and seats also increase safety both for you and your caregiver by decreasing the chance for falls. The one benefit that cannot be measured is that of feeling completely clean, something that is rarely achieved with a bed bath. If your mobility is significantly impaired, a handicap shower is a worthwhile investment.