Both Occupational Advisers recommend we install a wet room style bathroom as our shower currently is over the bath. Two years ago I got plumbers to advise but went no further because John is dead against change and reason does not work. He was against the grab rails but now uses them and agrees they were a good idea. On Friday we went to discuss the wet room design. I must admit I find it difficult to think how we will cope during the installation as there is a need to knock down walls. After his shower this morning he announces that he'a dead against the idea. I really just want to cry as I'm working so hard to look after him and make life easy for him. Any suggestions?
New Bathroom
- Thread starter Middletonian
- Start date
Hi @Middletonian
My response won’t be very helpful, but tomorrow they start installing our large shower, a shower big enough for me to help my husband if required.
We have been going round in circles for two years with the on off refurb. We are lucky enough to have a very small en-suite shower room. We put the bathroom off so we could have that done with wet walls, a comfort height loo and sturdy furniture for him to lean on. It took two weeks, and has been worth it. It all went more easily than anticipated.
Tomorrow the bathroom. We are fortunate we don’t need walls removing etc. We have gone for the bath out, a very wide shower, and built in furniture with another comfort height loo. We will hide ourselves in the sitting room with the electric fire, and a never ending boiling kettle, for the work men of course.
My husband too blew hot and cold. First he wanted it, then it was no way, then back on. I just got on with sorting it in the end.
Good luck. Take care and thinking of you. B xx
Is it for mobility issues you need to go down the wet room route? Other options with less disruption could be a walk in bath with a seat. There is s bathing mobility shop in Edinburgh bear my home that has a good website with options available that might be worth a look. If you google bathing mobility Edinburgh you should find it.
Sometimes you just have to go ahead and get it done and ignore them, otherwise it will never happen. I know not quite the same, but I had a similar issue with my dad, his kitchen extension roof was leaking in and it needed replacing. Dad would have none of it, he could fix it himself etc etc. I spent 2 years arguing with him over it, him threatening to kick them out and kill anyone who touched his house. Eventually it got so bad and hazardous that I just had to ignore him and I arranged for someone to do the work. It took a week, I had also arranged for them to replace dad's chimney (also dangerous), two birds, one stone. I did my best to keep dad out of the house during the day and away from them, he constantly made excuses to go and spy on them, but not once did he try to get them to stop and when it was all done he was thrilled with it. I just wished then I had got it all done sooner and there would have been less damage to deal with.
In our old house I had a mobility shower cubicle installed. The door was wide enough to take a shower chair on wheels had that been necessary. It was a good compromise.
When we moved I had the en-suite shower changed to a wet room area. It was so good for my husband. Unfortunately he died 3 weeks after we moved so he didn’t get much benefit from it.
My husband was too far advanced in his dementia to make any comment about the changes. I’m afraid if he had been I would have taken the approach suggested by others - it’s this or a care home (not in quite such harsh terms!).
Wishing you well.
When we moved I had the en-suite shower changed to a wet room area. It was so good for my husband. Unfortunately he died 3 weeks after we moved so he didn’t get much benefit from it.
My husband was too far advanced in his dementia to make any comment about the changes. I’m afraid if he had been I would have taken the approach suggested by others - it’s this or a care home (not in quite such harsh terms!).
Wishing you well.
Beware of the "walk-in bath" yes easy to enter and leave, but the water can only be put in and let out when the door is closed!
This means the time taken to have a bath is much, much longer than normal, giving the person a cold wait whilst the water comes and goes, if you have low water pressure then the time is much longer.
We had one, very expensive to fit, very glad now it's gone. Standard bath with "in bath" lift, works well for us.
Father had the bathroom, wet room conversion done, made washing him much easier, once he agreed to have a shower......
Bod
My parents have recently had their shower room changed to a wet room, so that the shower is level entry and non slip, with half doors that allow for a carer to assist if required. It was done mainly for my dad as he has significant mobility issues, but is also a benefit to my mum as it is safer. Mum is the PWD and she complains bitterly that she hates the new shower, the room is colder (it isn’t), she does like the hard floor, the water runs cold (because she turns the wrong control) etc etc. The main problem is that she is struggling to get used to it because it is new and slightly different. Fear of change seems to be the issue, coupled with her inability to recognise that she cannot remember e.g. instructions on how to use the new shower. I am hoping she will eventually acclimatise, but for now I just get a constant litany of how horrible it is, how no one has explained how it works etc.
