As I sit here, the workmen are buzzing around me fitting a level shower with chair and appropriate grab rails. The whole process started last July with an email to the local authority (Wealden DC) so that is just over nine months. It means four to five days of inconvenience but a lifetime of easy showers-bliss. This is the last of the facilities to be provided. Fortunately there has been no need to use the lifting cousin yet. The only time I have fallen was on my own so I was able to deploy my own lumbering undignified methods away from view.
The person who dealt with our disabled facilities grant was brilliant. With our current income, we’re on the cusp of a lot of benefits but she just looked at me and told me we were going to get it! Nice one. The whole procedure seems to have been carried out with a good deal of common sense and practicality. It just took time.
I had one put in about 3 years ago. Was life changing as I hadn’t been able to get out of the bath for about a year. Luckily we have a communal shower in our building… but nothing like having your own shower!
We are just going through the process ourselves, it has been agreed but we have to pay some towards it as Lee’s working but they want to do other things at the same time to make it easier for me to get the chair into the house, I’ve managed so far in the house with furniture but i fall several times a day and getting from the car to the house is a nightmare so it would be sensible to alter things…just not quite sure if I’m ready for it all…although saying that are we ever ready? …When anyone ever mentioned disability scooters or power wheelchairs I hated it and ripped up any leaflets, but getting my chair was the best thing ever its made me less disabled I go all over the place now and have so much freedom…so maybe its just getting my head around it .
Yes, getting your head round things is something we have to get used to.
No longer can I worry about not doing enough exercise or putting on too much weight. For some strange reason about 13 years ago I would spend a saturday afternoon doing a 1/2 mile walk (it took hours) in an attempt to keep active. Now? I use every possible means of perambulation to get about.
Most recently, we use the sit on rollator to get me to the bedroom at night. It just takes that little bit of uncertainty and tension out of the equation.
Pat dear, Do you mean you had to stay in a bath for a whole year. - No l am only joking! l had some dreadful falls when l used to have to step into the bath to use the shower -in it. Terrible bruises from hitting my head on the side of a cast iron bath - and the taps.
We had the OT round to see what could be done - she looked around and agreed we needed a wet-room with wheelchair access - but ‘lack of funds’ we ended up with a frame around the loo!! We had to pay for our own adaptions. This was 9yrs ago.
I Think we are used to putting up with things and playing it down, the ot has given me prescription for a commode for the time being …I can’t believe i’m writing this I’m horrified! My Grandma had one when she was in her eighties…they are soooo undignified , but iv’e been doing it the old fashioned way…potty under the bed…i’m still waiting for tablets from hospital hopefully they may help with the frequency and urgency…I’m sure this is far too much information…sorry Steve…I have to laugh or I’d cry!
I did get stuck in the bath! Luckily a friend was here. I had to call for help & she had to lug me out of the tub!!! Took several attempts because we couldn’t stop laughing. Extremely embarrassing and that was my bathing days at an end.
No Michelle not too much info for your friends on here…I guess we’ve all had our fair share of embarrassments ? You can’t shock us! I’ve never found anything that stops me going every two hours at least during the night but I hope you do.