WHY DOES IT MATTER TO BUILD ACCESSIBLE HOMES?

Going to the toilet- it’s something most of us just take for granted at home. But imagine if you can’t just ‘go’, for whatever reason (you’ve had an accident, you’ve developed a health issue). Then what?

 

Chances are, you may have to wait weeks- or months- for alterations to your home, to install a WC at entry level, to adapt your bathroom so you can use it. Inbetween times, the extreme is that you could be faced with the indignity of having to use a commode, possibly even sat in your lounge.

 

It’s a situation that is likely to affect increasing numbers of us. Our population is ageing. We have a growing number of disabled people- currently almost 14m people, equivalent to 20% of the population.

 

Bear in mind, 80% of those registered disabled were not born with their disability, it happened- they developed an illness, had a life changing accident. It can happen to any of us. For those people who need their homes adapted, the bathroom is the room most frequently in need of adaptation, and the toilet the fixture therein that is most often changed in some way.

 

It sounds stark, but that’s the reality. It’s just one reason why it is so important we get behind the latest drive to make a realistic proportion of new build homes accessible and adaptable- in effect, what is already laid down in Building Regulations as the standard- Approved Document M 4(2).

 

It is an aim of Habinteg Housing Association, which has just published a report into the need for accessible homes. It is lobbying the Government to make accessible, adaptable housing to M4(2) a mandatory baseline in Local Plans.

 

 

Key elements of building accessible, adaptable homes are doorways wide enough to accommodate wheelchairs, level access, an entrance level WC, and a structure strong enough to bear the addition of aids such as grab rails, particularly when under load. To design a layout where the main bedroom is on the same floor- and ideally with doorways in line with- the bathroom (to facilitate subsequent addition of a ceiling track hoist).

 

It isn’t actually that hard to do. Nor is it expensive. But it will save the Government- and therefore us in taxes etc- vast sums of money in ensuring homes are fit for life, for purpose. Build accessible homes, and you reduce the need to retrospectively adapt them, with all its associated cost and disruption. You reduce the need to rehouse people into suitable homes. You reduce their need for care support. You reduce the need for NHS intervention.

 

We’ve managed to start addressing the need for affordable homes.  Let’s commit to achieving the same with accessible homes, to build homes for life.

How long do you expect ‘tech’ to last? M

How long do you expect ‘tech’ to last? Mandy de la Mare has got 15 years and is counting… http://ow.ly/l3xS30m7dWi
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FACILITATE FUTURE-PROOFING OF HEALTH & WELLBEING

In which sector do you think most of the home adaptations occur? Most of us would probably answer in social housing, for disabled people.

 

Not true.

 

Latest figures reveal that the largest percentage of Disabled Facilities Grants (DFGs) is for owner occupiers, with 70% being for people aged 60+. And the most common room to be adapted is the bathroom.

 

Interestingly, there is a growing awareness of intimate care technology, and the impact of the ‘wellness’ features available. It’s something we’ve been delivering for almost 60 years, in our shower toilets.

 

There is an opportunity to combine the two considerations, to ‘future proof’ at least the toilet in the bathroom, whether you are the home owner, or a developer of supported or assisted living complexes. It can also help deliver part of the Government’s requirement to enable people to stay well and happy at home, with reduced reliance on social care support, as part of its aim to graduate from the Better Care Fund.

 

All it requires is replacement of a conventional WC with a shower toilet. The latter looks like- and can be used as- a conventional WC if preferred. But, either as an improvement on intimate hygiene, or as one’s health deteriorates and wiping with toilet paper becomes hard or impossible, optimum, consistent levels of intimate care are delivered via the integrated douching and drying processes.

 

Such toilets are the norm in Japan for example. If they become the norm here, I am sure we will see a surprising reduction in the number of home adaptations, the amount of care support needed, and an increase in the length of time people can continue to remain in their own homes.

 

http://www.clos-o-mat.com

Just for One Day?

With summer approaching, we all start planning trips, days out. But for the millions of families with a disabled member, those plans are too often curtailed by the fact they can’t find suitable toilets when they get there. They don’t just need a WC, they need help to be lifted from a wheelchair, or they need changing, or they need space to accommodate their carer(s) too.

 

So you find a situation where those families are thrilled that a venue has hired an assisted, accessible facility for a day. They invite friends to go along with them, excited that, for one day in the whole year, they can go to that place….

 

I fully acknowledge that mobile toilets have a value, and are a huge benefit. Not every potential venue is permanent- it may be a festival that runs for a few days; it may be small (eg a few hundred visitors/month), or a charity …

 

 

But people who need those facilities don’t need them just for one day.

 

They need them every day.

 

If you are a permanent venue, attracting thousands of people a day/week/month, and acknowledge that, to open our doors to everyone, you need to hire a mobile facility, why not put in a permanent facility?

 

Which is worse? To not have any such toilets at all, or to say to someone: ‘we recognise we need to do something extra to accommodate you, we’ll do that, but you can only come on one specific day’?

 

What impact would it have on your other guests’ enjoyment if you upgrade an existing wheelchair accessible toilet by losing a female cubicle, or a single urinal, to gain enough space to add a changing bench? Add a hoist whilst you’re about it- that doesn’t even take up any space! They won’t even notice, but it will make a world of difference to your guests who need those facilities- and your bottom line! They would be able to come whenever they like, as often as they like, not…

 

….just for one day.

 

BE GOOD SPORTS AND GIVE US TOILETS!

It is hard to not be aware of sport this month- the World Cup, Wimbledon, F1 British Grand Prix, The Open. But if you have any disability, what are the chances of you being able to attend any of these, relax, and enjoy the day safe in the knowledge there are suitable facilities for you?

In a report by the Government(*) into inclusive and accessible stadia/ spectator sports, disabled spectators were asked what aids and adaptations they would require- better and more accessible toilets was one of the top three categories. It is so logical, but so often overlooked. It’s all well and good providing accessible/ wheelchair seating, but if people are there for any amount of time, they ARE going to need to use the toilet. FACT. And, as we have said before, that means giving people the space, for themselves, perhaps a wheelchair and possibly a carer, and appropriate additional facilities eg a hoist, changing bench.

Yet a general comment from the clubs questioned was that, in terms of catering for disabled supporters, “other things can have a higher priority for club spend”. Almost 20% of our population is disabled. But does that percentage translate correspondingly in sports spectators? With the myriad of problems to overcome if you have any limitation- booking tickets, getting to and from the venue, moving around within, commentary of the action, appropriate seating, and appropriate toilets, for the majority of disabled people, it’s just too much effort.

Under the Equality Act 2010, venues are required to make ‘reasonable adjustments’, including to the built environment. If that was made a priority, then more disabled people would be ABLE to enjoy a local, regional or national sports event. There is a synergy here: make the venue more accessible, then more people can, and will come. Revenue will therefore increase, so the finance for continued improvements becomes available.

There is an old adage, traditionally from entrepreneurial business, that you have to spend money to make money. But it’s true. And it applies to any financial operation whether a community sports facility or a premier league club. So next time you wonder how to increase your attendance figures, look at your accessibility: it’s a great starting point! If you HAVE taken some steps in this direction, then tell people about them, especially on your website: if people don’t know you have the facilities, how can they use them? And if there are sporting events you want to attend, but can’t because of poor accessibility, then highlight the situation to the venue. If they don’t know there’s a problem, they can’t fix it…

(*) Department for Work & Pensions/ Department fir Culture Media & Sport The Inclusive & Accessible Stadia Report

Housing for All

There has been much talk in the media of late about the growing need for affordable housing.

 

What about the growing need for accessible housing?

 

New research has highlighted that there is a dire lack of suitable homes, whether in the private sector or social housing, to accommodate people with a disability.

 

Estimates put the current UK accessible housing stock at 5% of all homes. Disabled people represent at least 20% of the UK population: that’s a huge potential gap to be addressed! And with our ageing and increasingly obese (with all its associated implications) population, the need is only going to increase.

 

The research quotes examples where there has been a significant investment in time and money giving people rehabilitation and support to enable them to get out of hospital and into society, yet lack of suitable homes for them to move into means that effort is wasted.

 

There have been four Select Committee reports calling for national targets for accessible homes. There is a duty under the Neighbourhood Planning Act 2017 to consider the housing needs of disabled people.  But few local authorities actually implement anything.

 

If targets are set, they can be achieved. Greater London, for example, insists that 10% of newbuilds are wheelchair accessible; as a result the area is proven to have lower average waiting times for accessible homes.

 

It isn’t hard to build a lifetime/ accessible home: level access, wider doorways, a ground floor WC, and potential to add a hoist to aid transfer from, particularly, bedroom to bathroom, are key features.

 

So come on developers: lead the way whatever sector you operate in, just slightly adjust your designs and build processes, and enable millions of people to get on with living life.

And come on Government: legislate for national targets, make accessible housing a legal requirement. It will pay off: it will help reduce the pressures on other public services- particularly NHS and social care- by enabling people to be in their own homes, and independent.

DON’T MISS OUT…

A new report into disability(*) maintains that businesses could be missing out on a share of £420million in revenue a week, by failing to meet the demands of disabled people!

 

The same report also says a third of disabled people experience difficulties as a result of their impairment accessing public, commercial and leisure services; 17% of those say that inappropriate bathroom/toilet facilities are a barrier. That equates to at least 3/4million people being prevented from enjoying time out by lack of suitable toilets.

 

The report expands that location, layout and size are the biggest problems for disabled people and bathroom facilities. It’s why there is such a need for ‘bigger and better’ toilets- aka Changing Places. Under the new (2018) British Standard regarding inclusive buildings (BS8300:2018), a Changing Places should be at least 12m², include a ceiling track hoist, privacy screen, adult sized changing bench, and, ideally a wash & dry (shower) toilet in place of a conventional WC.

As I have said before, the Regulatory wheelchair-accessible toilet fails most disabled people. For a start, there are 13million people registered disabled in the UK, of whom “only’ 10% use a wheelchair. It is a Regulatory requirement to address their toilet needs, yet there is not a huge difference between them and the number of people who need the space and extra kit of a Changing Places.

 

We would maintain the figure is actually significantly higher than the report suggests. For example, 6.5million people have continence issues; 9million people suffer from arthritis; 0.5million people have acquired brain injuries; 0.25million people have a disease that affects their muscular control (MS, MD, MND); 1.5million people have a learning disability. All of these issues can impact on a person’s ability to go to the toilet on their own.

 

So why aren’t Changing Places a Regulatory requirement? Under current Regulations, and even under the new British Standard, the phraseology is only that such facilities ‘should be provided’. So if this lack of appropriate toilets has affected you, please ‘take five’ to do something about it: lobby your local MP to get the law changed.

 

Where a toilet is provided, it must address the needs of most, not the needs of the few, and be big enough, with the kit for as many people as possible to use it. That should be the minimum requirement.

ENDS

(*) Papworth Trust Disability in the UK

TAKE A STAND!

It is widely accepted nowadays that many people struggle- be it a little or a lot- to get up from their chair.  But few of us think beyond that scenario. Yet what about getting on and off the toilet?

 

THAT is actually a bigger problem, whether at home or out and about…

 

Reduced sit to stand function is such a common issue that there are now retailers within most large towns selling just riser recliner chairs. But, as outlined above, it is rare for that action to be associated with anything other than getting out of a chair. Yet almost as often,  we get on and off the toilet- on average eight times a day! And whether at home or out and about, often a grab rail just isn’t enough support or help.

 

Solutions do exist.

 

The obvious is to raise the height of the toilet so less knee bend, and lower limb strength, is required. Floor-mounted toilets can be made higher by the addition of plinths; a wall-hung variant can be moved up the wall. However, whoever is executing the work needs to ensure there is sufficient, or increased, pipework to accommodate the adjustment.

 

A toilet lifter helps people who do not have the muscle strength to push themselves up. It fits over the WC, and, at the push of a button, lowers and raises the user over the bowl, ensuring their feet remain on the floor.

Most deliver a tilting function as they rise, ‘tipping’ the user from sitting to standing, without the user having to rely on their own muscle strength. Some people find the tilting sensation unsettling, they don’t feel stable, and safe. The Aerolet, available from Closomat, is, to our knowledge, the only brand that also has a vertical lift option: this lifts the user without tilting the seat, eliminating that feeling of insecurity. (The Aerolet range can also be preset to individual user needs in terms of minimum and maximum lift height, thus accommodating the smallest to the tallest individual!)

 

The ultimate solution is an automatic height adjustable toilet, such as the Lima Lifter- believed to be unique in the market. At the push of a button, the toilet can be lowered and raised to the most comfortable height for the person using it- both for them to get on and off, and whilst sat. And it delivers the optimum in cleanliness- it has integrated douching and drying so there’s no need to manually clean with toilet paper. And the core height range can be preset at initial installation to accommodate the shortest and tallest user, within the tolerances of 455mm up to 755mm.

 

Artist Stella Maris, who has muscular dystrophy, sums it up: I cannot stress what a difference it has made. I am able to go to the toilet without assistance! It is fantastic for anyone with no sit to stand function. The rising function is crucial for me to do anything without help.”

Stella maintains the rising function is so critical to her daily life, she cannot even spend any great amount of time away from home in case she needs the toilet. One assumes everyone who uses a riser recliner chair at home has the same issue.

 

Is that your experience?

Are you sitting comfortably? Then we’ll

Are you sitting comfortably? Then we’ll begin…
The right size, shape of toilet seat can impact on your whole toilet experience. Find out more here:
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SITTING COMFORTABLY?

We assume that toilet seats are oval, a standard size. The only variation may be colour.  The truth is far different, especially if you have a disability.

 

Changes to the WC, particularly the seat, is actually one of the most common home adaptations carried out. If you think about it, that’s not a surprise. Going to the toilet is one of the four key activities of daily living (ADLs), something we do on average eight times a day, so probably more than any other part of our routine.

 

The right seat makes a big difference to your ability to use the toilet comfortably, effectively and safely. Key influencing factors are your gender and size. Any parent, for a start, will have at least one story of trying to support their offspring over the pan during potty training, to avoid the, slipping through! Similarly, if their offspring was male, of being sprinkled, or soaked, in urine from the child’s inability to aim!

 

A female with dexterity and/ or mobility issues would find it hard, if not impossible, with a conventional toilet seat to remove or insert a tampon. A person of either sex needing to change a catheter will similarly be restricted. A horse shoe shaped seat makes their life easier.

 

An obese person will find it hard because of body mass to position themselves accurately over the toilet bowl. They may be sat too far forward, for example. Buttock cheeks may be pushed together by the seat, compromising their ability to evacuate their bowels easily, effectively and cleanly. A bariatric seat, or bench provides greater support.

Someone who suffers from sensitive skin, sores, spends a long time sat on the loo, or lacks padding on their bottom would find a padded, soft seat much more comfortable.

 

For all of those above, and anyone who has dexterity and/or mobility issues would also find it useful if they didn’t have to reach through the seat to wipe themselves clean. A shower toilet- one with integrated douching, and ideally subsequent drying, facilities too eliminates that. The complex- and potentially hazardous- manoeuvre of wiping clean is obviated, as, at the trigger, the toilet automatically cleans you. Depending on the make and model, even the trigger options address limitations: they vary, including flush levers, push button controls, soft touch systems, infra red and even remote controls.

The options exist to ensure that, as far as using the toilet is concerned, you are sitting comfortably….

 

more info: http://www.clos-o-mat.com