Bathtub modification information?

[agate]

I'm having problems with falls, and the last one involved getting out of the bathtub here in my rented apartment. It is a rental under federally subsidized housing, and sometimes "reasonable accommodations" are possible.

For instance, several neighbors have had different bathtubs installed. I've seen a couple of them. One has a cutaway in the sidewall, and the other had an actual door in the side wall of the tub.

Does anyone know about the type of tub that has a door? Are you able to take a bath more easily with that door to simplify getting in and out? It's stepping over the edge of the tub that is part of the problem for me.

Another problem is that the floor of the tub is 5 inches higher than the bathroom floor, and the bather has to remember to step way down when getting out of the tub.

Hoping for some information here. Thank you!

[dolule]

Hi,

I've never used a bathtub with a door, but I did hear from a contractor that one might get cold while the tub fills/empties.

One item you might want to consider getting is a 9" hand grip. Amazon carries ones by Moen and Delta. We have two of Moen's LR2250DW
mounted vertically in our roll-in shower in addition to the normal grab bars and use them more often. I find them attractive and very comfortable and secure. We've had them for 10 years and they still look like new. You could put them on the wall near the tub's edge to hold onto when getting in and out of the tub. They do need a stud or something to secure them. Our contractor says he's put them in stairways and similar places and people really like them.

Some other possibilities -- if you're okay with just a shower and no tub -- are:

1) a shower room: convert the whole bathroom into a waterproof room. This works well if you have limited space and it was a common feature in some inns and airbnbs we stayed in in Europe. You'd want to design it so the fixtures like the toilet don't get wet every time you take a shower.

2) a modular low threshold shower stall. We stayed in an airbnb in Portland that had this and I really liked it. If it takes up the entire bathtub space, you'll have room to maneuver and for seating. You can get them with built in grab bars.

We remodeled our house to include a roll-in shower without making the whole room a shower room. The shower is more the size of those two-person showers. I love it, but there's a lot of surface to keep dry.

Best of luck and stay safe!

[agate]

dolule, thank you for your thoughtful reply!

I'm older than dirt and am in a rented apartment (HUD housing for seniors and the disabled), and I'm afraid I won't be installing any grab bars as this place came equiped with several very nice ones, and I've added a couple of my own as permitted. I wouldn't be allowed to put any holes in the wall without special permission, and so the ones I added aren't as stable as they should be but they are of some help. One clamps onto the bathtub edge and has been useful for years now. The other may be headed for the trash as it is suction-type. Every time I bathe I apply it, then remove it afterwards because when left in place, it loses its suction after a while and falls down (with a loud crash).

I don't know about switching to showers. I don't see well at all without my glasses, and one problem with showers is that my glasses get so wet I can't see. I need them for vision while in the shower. For instance, dropping the soap can be a problem if it lands somewhere near my foot and I slip on it because I didn't see it.

There's something called soap on a rope that might be an answer to that.

I'm considering a handheld shower attachment though. That might solve quite a few problems, especially the issue with the glasses.

I've looked at the many photos of cutaway bathtubs and bathtubs with doors online, and not one of them looks like the ones I've seen in this building, but I'll keep looking.

[perkylady]

Something you might consider is a sliding shower chair that pivots. The legs can be easily adjusted for the difference in height between inside the tub and outside. You can sit down and slide yourself in on the chair and you still need to get your feet over the edge, however, if the chair is adjusted high enough then getting your feet up and over is not bad.

The newer chairs often pivot and have arms; both are highly desirable features. These chairs can be expensive BUT used ones in great condition come up all the time on FaceBook marketplace and Craigslist and are much, much more affordable.

A handheld shower would be helpful, too.

Check out some pics online and see what styles of sliding shower chairs are out there and take your time deciding if you go that route. I used one for a family member and it worked well, and chairs are definitely safer. Sitting and sliding is far safer than stepping over. Good Luck!