Mobility Info - Canada
Bath Lifts and Hoists
Bath lifts and bath hoists are useful for people who find getting into a bath difficult even with equipment such as bath boards, bath seats and grab rails. They are usually a cheaper option than installing a new bath.
Portable bath lifts are pieces of equipment located in the bath itself. The user slides onto a seat to be lowered into the bath; he/she remains on the seat to bathe, then the seat rises to allow the occupant to get out afterwards. To be able to use this type of bath lift, the bather must be able to get on the seat from the side and lift the legs over the edge of the bath, either independently or with the help of a carer. Otherwise, a fixed bath hoist may be a better option.
Most bath lifts are powered using rechargeable batteries, although some are powered manually. In the latter case, the user’s weight lowers the seat into the bath; then, with the help of the bather pushing up on the edges of the bath, a hydraulic piston mechanism raises them up again.
Portable bath lifts are designed to fit standard baths without the necessity of screw holes or any other alterations to the bath. They are generally held in place with suckers, so the bottom of the bath needs to be reasonably flat. If you have a corner bath or an unusually shaped bath, check first that the lift can be installed. Additionally, a plastic bath will need to be strong enough to support the weight of the lift and its occupant. The lift itself can typically cope with a person weighing up to 20 stone.
By their nature, portable bath lifts can be taken out and fitted in another bath, though this is often easier said than done. Most are quite heavy and awkward to carry, even if they have detachable components. Moreover, the suckers tend to attach firmly to the bath, so considerable effort can be needed to release the equipment. For this reason, some models have tabs to enable the suckers to be freed more easily. It is worth bearing in mind that someone who needs to use a bath lift in the first place is unlikely to be able to install or remove one unaided.
Most bath lift seats are made from hard plastic but some have cushioned pads as standard or as an extra. Many seats feature textured non-slip surfaces and drainage holes to prevent water from pooling. Furthermore, some seats have side flaps that fold out to bridge the gap between the seat and the bath edge, making sliding on and off more manageable. If the bath has handrails that might get in the way of these side flaps, special guides are available to prevent the rails from encroaching on the flaps as the lift rises and descends. Backrests are important to provide support; some bath lifts have backrests that can recline up to 40 degrees, which is a useful feature for those with back problems.
Taller bathers need to ensure that the bath lift leaves them with enough legroom to stretch out comfortably in the bath. A bath lift whose seat finishes as low as possible in the bath is preferable for comfort and ease of bathing; this also means less water is required to cover the bather and allows the user to have a deeper bath.
Push-button controls are commonly used to operate the bath lift. These are on a hand-held device attached to the main mechanism by a wire. Depending on the model, the hand control can be hung out of the way or attached to the bath or the lift itself by way of suckers or Velcro. As the controls are waterproof, they are perfectly safe even when immersed in water. Make sure that you can see or feel the controls easily enough to
operate them. If your bath is particularly deep, make certain that the bath lift is high enough to allow transfer; be mindful too of the issues surrounding legroom for taller people and weight capacity for heavier people, especially if the bath is made from plastic.
Alternatives for bathrooms where the more common type of bath lift is unsuitable for whatever reason include inflatable bath lifts and wall/floor mounted band lifts. The major advantage of inflatable bath lifts is that they are much lighter and so a lot easier to remove and transport when required. They work by inflating to raise the occupant from the bath and deflating to lower them. Reasonable balance and stability are required to use inflatable lifts because they are not as solid as the type with a plastic seat. After use, the lift can be decompressed and left to air dry, then be removed and hung up if someone else needs to use the bath.
Band bath lifts are a relatively recent innovation. They consist of a wide, strong fabric band that emerges from a wall-mounted unit. The band passes over the bath and slots into a bracket on the floor beside the bath. When the band is taut, the bather sits on it; at the press of a button, a battery or mains powered motor rotates a roller in the wall unit, gently letting out the band and lowering the occupant into the bath. Afterwards, the roller rotates in the opposite direction, retracting the band and thus lifting the bather up to the level of the bath edge again.
To use a band lift safely, the bather needs to have reasonably good balance in the absence of any back or trunk support. As with the other types of bath lift, the user also needs to be able to lift their legs over the edge of the bath. Another factor to consider is that the bather will have to adjust their position slightly as the band tightens and slackens in order to remain central.
Band bath lifts offer two main advantages over other kinds. Firstly, they are able to lower the user right to the bottom of the bath, taking up virtually no space and allowing the bather to recline fully if they so wish. Secondly, they are very discreet; the band can be detached from the floor and fully retracted into the wall unit, freeing up the bath for other members of the household with minimal fuss.
While some band lifts are electrically connected to the mains via a transformer, others use rechargeable batteries that typically give half a dozen lifts per charge. The control buttons are located on the wall unit, though some models have a safe, waterproof handset. The weight capacity of these lifts is similar to that of other bath lifts (around 20 stone) but some bathroom walls may need reinforcing to bear the load safely. Companies who install the lifts will be able to carry out the necessary work, if feasible.
Fixed bath hoists are a better option for people without the necessary agility to negotiate the edge of the bath. A vertical column and base plate are fixed to the floor at the side or the end of the bath. The seat is accessed outside the bath, before raising the bather higher than the rim of the bath. The seat then swivels over the bath, before lowering the user.
Manual fixed bath lifts are wound up and down using a handle. This usually requires the assistance of a carer, although there are some models that the bather can operate independently. Alternatively, powered bath hoists, using mains electricity or rechargeable batteries, can be controlled via a handset, either by the user or by a carer. Different types of seat, armrests and leg supports are available with some models.
If lifting is required in other rooms, it may be worth considering a portable hoist (q.v.) that can be used elsewhere in the house. Another option is to incorporate the bathroom in an overhead ceiling track hoist system (q.v.).
