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

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?

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

TURN TO TECH TO PREPARE FOR ‘BIG IMPLICATIONS FOR CARE’

New statistics maintain that by 2025 almost 3million over 65s will need care provision, with a quarter of later life spent with some kind of disability(*). Simultaneously, Age UK is alleging that, already, more than 1million people are left to struggle with day-to-day tasks.

Says Caroline Abrahams of Age UK, in a recent article, “There are big implications for contemporary life, including housing, health and care” as a result of our ageing population. Under its Care in Crisis campaign, the charity particularly singles out using the toilet as an issue. Using the toilet IS one of the biggest issues: we go to the loo on average eight times a day!

But it is too frequently overlooked at the expense of the more obvious, less sensitive tasks such as getting dressed, preparing a meal. Think about it: if someone struggles to turn the pages of a newspaper, how can they grasp and tear toilet tissue, and then wipe themselves? If they need a riser recliner chair, don’t they need similar with the WC?

Bear in mind, under the Care Quality Commission guidance for providers, people’s individual needs should be met, and their independence promoted. Premises may need to be adapted to deliver those criteria. And simply phrasing questions with analogies above easily enables identification of toileting as an issue, without offending any personal sensitivities.

Actually, in our experience, once the topic is out in the open, it is welcomed! It’s just not a subject the older generation willingly raise. A more holistic approach to use of budgets could alleviate some of the pressure, enabling people to undertake at least that daily task without help. Think how long it takes care staff to help someone answer the call of nature.

What if, where appropriate, that person was given the tools (aka the assistive technology, equipment) to so do unaided? The cost would be quickly mortised against staff costs. In addition, potentially, once that person no longer needed the equipment, there is no over-riding reason why it could not be re-allocated to someone else, or moved to a different location, to enable another to benefit. For example, a Closomat wash & dry toilet in one en-suite in a care home would be used by all residents who occupied that room over years. A Closomat wash & dry toilet in an individual’s home can be adapted with accessories, at the outset or retrospectively, to tailor it to their needs as those change with time- something that is unique to Closomat. (http://www.clos-o-mat.com/index.php/products/case-studies/88-palma-vita-case-studies/domestic/267-marilyn-carr.html)

One of Closomat’s Aerolet toilet lifters could enable a person to get on and off the WC without help. If in an individual’s home, when they no longer needed it, it could be moved to a different address to deliver the same benefit to another. So even though the capital cost has been recouped, the equipment is still delivering benefit- in effect free of charge! There are further benefits too. By empowering the recipient to undertake something so intimate without help, you enhance their feeling of independence, empowerment, of being in control. All have significant psychological benefits, improving the person’s mental health and thus potentially reducing the need for medical intervention. Such equipment can help them stay in their own home, reducing their need for care support, so you ease the strain on already stretched homecare resources. It alleviates their need for admission to a residential care home, so you ease the strain on the lack of available beds.

James Randall is a case in point: http://www.clos-o-mat.com/index.php/products/case-studies/93-aerolet-case-studies/431-the-best-bathroom-in-the-world.html So isn’t it time we adopted a more holistic approach, to alleviate the potential crisis? After all, every little helps.

 

ENDS (*) The Lancet Public Health Journal

LIFTING SUPPORT

Daily life has been given a lift for the Lalor family, with kit that is “just the answer” for them all.

 

The equipment is a ceiling track hoist and Palma Vita wash & dry (bidet) toilet, supplied and installed by Britain’s leading helpful hygiene solutions provider Closomat. It is benefitting the whole family: father Michael can move his 49 years-old son Michael, who has Muscular Dystrophy, easily around the family home in Laois, Leinster, particularly into the bathroom, and son Michael can to go to the toilet without having his sister Mary or father deal with his intimate cleaning afterwards.

“It is just the answer, it was terribly badly needed,” commented father Michael. “We had an ordinary mobile hoist before. It was very hard work for us to manage him. All we have to do now is push a button!

 

“We had an older wash & dry toilet before too. It wasn’t a patch on this one! It cleans Michael thoroughly, without me, or his mother, having to wipe him. It’s much nicer for all of us.”

 

Michael was first diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy when he was 17 and an active member of the Gaelic Athletic Association. Initially the family thought he had just sustained an injury. His Occupational Therapist initially arranged for the mobile hoist and original toilet; as his condition has deteriorated, and time has impacted on his parents’ ability to help him, the family’s needs have been re-assessed, with the recommendation of the new Closomat Palma Vita and hoist.

 

Looking like, and capable of being used as, a conventional WC, the Palma Vita is the only wash & dry toilet designed specifically for people with impairments. It delivers the best douching and drying performance available. Uniquely, it can be fitted, initially or retrospectively, with a range of accessories to enable people to continue to use it with little or no support, even as their needs change.

 

Closomat’s ceiling track hoist can carry up to 200kg (31stone), and can, at the push of a button, be moved to wherever it is needed in the room, precisely positioning the person where the carer requires-be it over the toilet, shower seat, or changing bench. The hoist is designed to support the user as needed, and be simple for the carer to transfer.

 

“We go to the toilet on average eight times a day, so it has a huge impact on anyone who needs help to do so, and their carers,” observes Robin Tuffley, Closomat marketing manager. “Combinations of equipment such as we have provided at the Lalors makes a huge difference to the whole family’s daily life.”

 

Closomat is the only British manufacturer of wash & dry toilets, with the Palma Vita being the biggest-selling unit of its kind. It compliments its range of helpful solutions for intimate hygiene with country-wide sales and technical support and in-house, nationwide service & maintenance.

 

The company’s website- www.clos-o-mat.com- is one of the most comprehensive resources for accessible bathroom and toileting solutions. White papers, guides to specification, installation ‘top tips’, CAD blocks, video, and renders are all available for download free of charge, with the site even including a fully- searchable map for ‘try before you buy’ locations.

It Could be You…!

Most of us don’t give the impact of disability on daily life a passing thought. But maybe we should….

Latest data (Office of National Statistics) say one in five of us has some form of disability- visible or invisible.

Approximately 80%- eight million people in Britain- weren’t born with their disability.

They developed a disease, began to suffer from a health condition.

Or they had an accident.

The causes are more numerous than people realise. Arthritis, cancer and diabetes are among the most common causes of disability, with mental health becoming increasingly prominent.

But the biggest- and least talked about- life limiting condition is incontinence- bladder control affects more than 14million adults, and 6.5million of us have issues with our bowels!

The effect of the disability usually worsens with time too. Most of us know at least one of the nine million arthritis sufferers in the UK, and appreciate how their mobility and dexterity deteriorate over time. On average each year, over 7,000 diabetes sufferers have a lower limb amputation. According to Help Diabetes, the number has increased 15% in a decade, yet 80% of diabetes-related amputations could have been avoided with good care and self-management.

Don’t forget too that the majority of people have a family, the members of which are in turn affected by the limitations to daily life that are inevitable when living with a disability.

So it could happen to you…..!

Prevention is Better than Cure

They say prevention is better than cure. They say the social care sector is in crisis, with not enough carers, not enough beds in care homes. So, taking the adage to an extreme, what about preventing the need, as far as possible, for care support, for care beds?

 

Of course I appreciate there are numerous circumstances where what I am about to propose isn’t practical. But, in many instances, it IS:

Where possible, expand our use of technology, living aids, in place of sending someone in to do that task, or putting someone in care.

Where relevant, it has numerous benefits. The pressured care resources are available for other cases where equipment isn’t a practical solution. It’s actually better use of funds to provide the technology- it’s a one-off cost, more often than not amortised within weeks or months against the cost of sending in daily care support.

 

And there has been research that shows people who were enabled to stay at home needed less residential care, had a better quality of life, and their physical and mental health improved- putting less strain on health budgets……

 

Would you want someone to wipe your bottom? To help you on and off the WC? If there was equipment to do that instead, what would you rather have?

 

And that’s the opinion of the Better Outcomes Lower Costs report, originally written a decade ago. Numerous, subsequent reports have delivered the same conclusion. When are we going to change our way of thinking, and take heed of the proof: where appropriate, enable people to be independent.

 

 

find out more: click the link!

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CHANGE IN THINKING COULD OPTMISE BEST USE OF FUNDING

 

By Mark Sadler, Sales Director

 

A new report has suggested that spending £270m on Disabled Facilities grants saves more than double that amount from health & social care costs^(*)!

 

Surely it is time we stopped the wheel of convention, and took a fresh look at the way monies are spent? Just because we’ve always done it that way doesn’t mean it is still the right, or most appropriate way, to do things.

 

This latest report is just that- the latest. Over the years there have been numerous studies into the best value for money attained by spending a comparatively nominal amount on an adaptation, that reaps dividends in reduction of care and health costs. Yet still we carry on blithely taking months or even years to sort adaptations, inbetweentimes spending vast sums on providing a care worker.

 

I appreciate some adaptations do require building work. Many don’t. Many are comparatively simple to effect. A toilet lifter, for example, can be easily fitted over the WC, requiring only an electrical connection. A grab rail or support arm just needs bolting to a suitably strong surface, be it a wall or floor.

And so often adaptations are a reaction to an event- a fall prompting a costly stay in hospital, potentially a broken bone. Should we be looking more at preventative steps? Again, reports prove the point: the Building Research establishment has modelled the impact of preventative adaptations, and reckons our refusal to take this approach costs the NHS £414million a year!^(*)

With our ageing population, the situation is only going to get worse, unless we make a major change in our approach. Some local authorities are so doing, and realising the benefits in £. Perhaps there should be an incentive to encourage more to follow suit? Or, where a Council has achieved such success, it is suitably lauded.

 

Maybe what it actually required is a legislative change, with a % of budget withheld if money is being wasted in this way? Then Councils would HAVE to make best use of resources….

 

 

(*): Housing Learning & Improvement Network report Health & housing: building the evidence base April 2017

The Hidden Impact of Diabetes

More than 20 people a day have a limb amputated as a result of diabetes- a figure that is on the increase.

It’s a ‘hidden’ issue of the disease, an issue that is not widely publicised, but which might make some people who may be prone to the disease make those lifestyle changes that could prevent it developing.

Whether the illness was preventable or not, that still means over 7000 people each year have to adapt to a life-changing event, that affects every part of day to day life- even going to the loo.

Imagine if you suddenly found yourself reliant on your family, or a stranger, to help you do things you currently take for granted- making a brew and walking with it through to the lounge to watch TV, taking a shower, going to the toilet. It’s those little things where assistive technology can make a huge difference to someone’s ability to continue to live life, without having to rely on care support.

Most providers of care support think of assistive technology as telecare, but, as its name suggests, it is really any daily living aid that assists.

We know from our daily lives that technology that helps someone be able to go to, and use, the loo on their own is, to them, priceless. It may be anything from a grab rail, through a toilet lifter (the WC equivalent of a riser recliner chair) to a wash & dry (bidet) toilet. Whatever it is, it is still cheaper to provide than covering the cost of a carer going in every day just to help them go to the loo: even the ‘top of the range’ height adjustable wash & dry toilet is paid for within a matter of months when set against the cost of care support. It makes best use of available funds, and delivers better outcomes, as that carer is then freed for other duties where assistive technology can’t assist.