“JUST ABOUT MANAGING…”?

 

It’s a fact of life that, with each day that passes, we change, as we age. Whether or not we view ourselves as disabled, those changes impact on our ability to live life. But with typical British stoicism, we just ‘get on with it’, we ‘manage’.

 

But it doesn’t have to be that way. We have the technology to make small changes, adaptations to our homes, that enable us, regardless of age, to get on with life, independently and with style.

 

Much of it is about a change in attitude. Think about it, in the 1960s no-one would have dreamed of having a bidet in the bathroom. Yet less than a decade later, as foreign travel became more accessible, it became the aspiration, and then almost ‘the norm’.

 

To us straight-laced Brits, it is slightly weird to have a WC that washes your bum. Yet to the Japanese, it is ‘the norm’: they spend the time and effort choosing a wash & dry toilet that we spend choosing a TV. In many cultures, us British are the weird ones for thinking it’s practical and hygienic to wipe our bottoms with a bit of paper rather than wash clean afterwards. Think about it logically, would you clean the rest of your body that way i.e. with paper? Or would you use water i.e. a bath or shower?

We sit in the bath, yet stand in the shower. Why not sit in the shower? It’s certainly safer! And most shower seats fold against the wall, so do not impact on use of the shower if other members of the household still prefer to stand.

We rub ourselves dry with a towel yet dry hair with warm air. Why not add style and save laundry bills? If you have mobility or skin issues, using a body drier is a viable alternative.

 

So, in the bathroom at least, we don’t have to ‘just manage’. Any one of a number of small changes/ adaptations would give you the ability to perform your daily (or more regular) ablutions safely, with enhanced hygiene, and without having to rely on anyone to help you.

 

ENDS

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

Adaptable Style & Function

A wetroom is a perfect way to make sure that, even if doing certain movements is starting to become a bit difficult, you can still be independent and stylish- at least with your intimate hygiene!

 

Closomat’s range of options enable you to still be in vogue whilst getting that extra bit of support….

Support arms and grab rails don’t have to have that typical institutional look, but can be sleek, aesthetic and discreet. So can shower seats. They can be fixed directly to the wall, or mounted on a slimline track to give the flexibility to move them to exactly where required.

 

And for the ultimate hygiene experience, replace the conventional WC with a Closomat wash & dry toilet, so you don’t have to contort, twist, reach, to wipe clean: integrated features shower your intimate parts clean, then warm air blow you dry. You can tailor it to your individual needs too- initially or as you change with time.

 

Floor- or wall-mounted versions suit individual design preferences, and, if knee flexing is becoming hard, then opt for the fully-automatic height adjustable Lima Lifter.

 

Find out more at http://www.clos-o-mat.com/index.php/products/accessible-