Having a wet room installed

[Lapwing]

Hello,

I am looking for some advice re having a wet room installed in my flat where I live with my disabled mother. She has had severe rheumatoid arthritis for 50 years and is now finding it hard to get into the shower because of the step into the shower. So it seems that a wet room might be the best solution. Does anyone have a wet room? Do you have some sort of a folding shower screen to stop the water spraying everywhere? Our bathroom is very tiny and I am concerned as to how this can work. She can walk into the shower and sit on a fitted shower seat, so doesn’t need to be wheeled in in a wheelchair.

Also she often complains that she finds it hard to clean herself after using the toilet. She once had one of those toilet sticks given her which she was totally unable to use because of her disabled hands and shoulders. I have seen some toilets online with a combined electric bidet function and drier. It sounds like it might be the perfect solution for her, but it might be too good to be true. Has anyone had experience with these at all?

Any advice and feedback would be gratefully received
Diane

[Melly1]

Hi Diane, my Mum had a wet room fitted and hates the mess having a shower in it makes, so looking forward to seeing what replies you get.

No experience of the toilet with bidet function, though I reckon some of children at the (special) school where I work, would like one. One of my boys frequently lowers his bottom into the toilet bowl and flushes the chain after o/b!

Melly1

[john wilsonhall]

We have a wet room with a shower curtain round. However it is a moderately sized bathroom. It doesn't seem to make much mess but even if it did it's the only way to get me wife showered.

[Greta]

We have a wet room which was installed so my brother, who was bedbound, was wheeled into it on a shower chair on wheels, like a wheelchair (he died last year - I'm an ex-carer). There is a folding seat attached to the wall too. The door had to be widened to get the big shower chair in, so instead of a door we have a cloth shower curtain. I have used the shower a couple of times. The thing is to direct the shower head to yourself, to the side or back wall, not to the door. I just wouldn't spray the shower in all directions as I might if there was a solid shower cubicle. It isn't a problem.

I fancy those toilets too but have no experience. They seem to work in Japan.

[jenny lucas]

My niece on Pip has had a new bathroom with an accessible shower (ie, not the previous one over the bath, into which she could not safely step) put in for free. I haven't seen it, so don't know whether it is a wetroom, but I don't think it can because those I believe are far more extensive to install, as the space has to be 'tanked' - ie, the ENTIRE bathroom becomes a kind of 'giant shower tray' with the 'tray' extending up the walls so as to stop the water being slopped up by the brickwork etc. It's quite a 'spacious' bathroom. I know the guys installing it had to put down some special flooring across the whole area, again, to prevnt the ingress of wet from the shower itself.

My own new shower is much close to the floor than the old one was. no more than five inches (under a hand, I've just gone and checked). That's just a normal shower. Shower trays these days are very shallow on the whole, as the design of the drainage system/trap has changed, so they don't need to be 'deep' any more.

Finally, in respect of tiny showers - when my son was at uni the rooms in the hall of residence were described as having an ensuite. in reality this was a 'cuboard' into which you stepped, but the point is they were SO tiny that when you showered, the ENTIRE space got wet. He had to take out the towels and loo roll before showering, and allow for the fact that water would go overeverything, including the loo and the handbasin. it didn't seem to bother him. (slight nuisance to remove anything that could get soggy, but of course the rest of the 'stuff', eg shampoo, razor etc, could just get wet, and then dry out again after the shower. There was no shower curtain as I recall??

If your mum qualifies for a free shower because of her disability, I think they send out a bathroom specialist to suss out what can and can't be done in the space you have, so that would tell you what is possible??

[jenny lucas]

PS, if you're mum doesn't need a wheelchair, I'm wondering if a simple 'ramp' set up could help her get in to the existing shower. If there were some laminated wood or whatever, that could 'hook' inside the shower tray while she hobbled up and in, and then removed for the shower, and replaced to get out again, would that work? I'm sort of thinking of those ramps you can buy to help ancient dogs into the boots of cars, but to support a human, and much smaller as the 'drop' is far less?

[Honey Badger]

We just use a slim (but sturdy) fold-able partition which safely goes out of the way of anything/one when not in use and a shower curtain which were mostly for privacy as theres not as much mess/water run off as you would think there would be.. certainly not anything a few seconds with a mop can't handle. Theres shower chairs for the caree's and grip handles nearby etc.

To be honest the main thing for me would be making sure they properly damp proof the walls especially if its like an inner room with minimal ventilation for the condensation/steam (can't all be picky about where it is) and that the work as a whole is done to a high standard because its a feature you need maximum up-time on.

[Lapwing]

Thanks for all the replies.

I’m meeting with the plumber later this week to discuss further. However he is not keen on the Japanese toilet idea and is suggesting a hand held douche arrangement. I don’t know what these are like but he plans to get me a catalogue. My mum is a bit dubious about being able to use it. Well I guess we will have to wait and see the catalogues. The plumber thinks the Japanese toilers are a bit of a gimmick. But I have a Japanese work colleague who tells me that everyone in Japan has these toilets, even the public toilets are these posh Japanese toilets.

As for the shower we may use the concertina sort of glass screen.

I guess it will all be worth it in the end but at the moment it is all a little confusing.

Diane

[Melly1]

I would think a handheld " douche" which I assume is basically a shower head you use whilst sat on the toilet(?) would be difficult to use for someone with mobility issues, as they would need to hold it and balance. I hate to be cynical, but is it because the plumber would prefer to fit the hand held douche than remove your toilet and fit the Japanese toilet which he is unfamiliar with?

Melly1

[Lapwing]

Yes Melly1 I agree with you. She is not going to be able to hold anything like a douche. Her hands are not strong and things get dropped several times a day. I think I need to stay with the Japanese toilet. I think it will be the best answer for her, to help her keep her independence.

Diane