Handicap Shower Accessories

When it comes to stuff like bathrooms and showers and all the extra nice things we can get for them, we see the vision through the eyes of the able bodied and all that entails. But we're not all able bodied and what may appear perfectly normal to one person can appear horrifically ill placed to another. If your perspective is from lower down in a wheelchair, some bathroom layouts can seem nightmarish to say the least.

So its with this in mind and a physically handicapped nephew to bring it home to me, I decided to put this hub together that looks at bathroom accessories, or more specifically shower accessories that are designed specifically for the physically disabled, or more correctly people with disabilities as I'm often reminded I'm supposed to say in these politically correct times.

Handicapped Showers

Ok, I know its not politically correct to use the words "handicapped" or "disabled" anymore, but I also want people to be able to find this page in the search engines, and guess what most people search on? Yep, "handicap shower accessories," so that's the term I'm stuck with (sorry Josh...) and I don't mean to upset anyone, but it is what it is.

So with that lame (but truthful) excuse of an explanation out of the way, lets get on to looking at just what is available in the bathroom department when it comes to accesorizing showers for the physically challenged, or showers for people with disabilities.

The first thing you have to look at is the accessibility angle to any bathroom layout and work out the best way to make it as easily maneuverable as possible while maintaining its function as a bathroom, before you even get to the shower. Once your bathroom design is better than acceptable to the person who'll be using it, then you can start looking at how best to improve or completely refit the shower.

Handicap Shower Accessories

So to the actual handicap shower accessories that you can purchase to improve the look, usability and practicality of the handicap shower you now have installed. Now remember, these units generally come with all the grab bars and rails already in place, you shouldn't need any more unless you have a specific need.

But its good to know that grab bars are available as handicap shower accessories, in which case an additional grab rail or two should be no problem to add on.

Shower Seats. There is a pretty sizable variety of wall mounted folding shower seats as well as benches that are available and they come in a nice variety of styles and sizes. High quality shower chairs are generally made from stainless steel to give them all the strength they'll need as well as good resistance to corrosion. They are usually made with rounded, smooth edges and hinges to allow for safe and simple side transfers. When installed properly, most shower seats are ADA compliant designed and manufactured. All fold down shower seats are also designed to be able to support loads anywhere from 250 lbs to 900 lbs.

A collapsible water retainer or water stopper is the perfect way to help the bathroom floor remain dry. A collapsible water retainer is easily fitted to the shower threshold and because they are made of durable neoprene rubber, they allow a user with limited mobility to easily step into and out of the shower, or similarly a wheelchair can be easily rolled over it.

You can install a hand-held shower head and this is a great way to make your shower a safer and easier to use one. They come with a chrome yoga glide bar, which means you can adjust the stationary position of the shower head. Alternatively you can remove the shower head from the glide bar and hold in your hand.

The addition of a pressure mixing valve will ensure that the water temperature remains constant and independent of the water pressure, which can change during your shower. Because it is a thermostatically controlled valve, it produces the precise water temperature that you set. That means you avoid getting scalded or frozen from the water's temperature changes.

You can get a heavy duty shower curtain which is not the same as the typical variation. These heavy duty curtains are resistant to flame, stains, odors and static and are antimicrobial and very durable. Thus is the most economical choice over time as they last a very long time.You'll need a heavy duty shower curtain pole to support the curtain and these can also be purchased as handicap shower accessories.

Step-less ramp modules are a way of quickly and economically assembling ramps that you may need for wheelchair access to some showers fitted with a low threshold to retain water. Ramps are perforated to allow water to drain through and can be re-used in any other places or even rebuilt and adapted to overcome all kinds of obstacles.