Not all walk-in bathtubs are created equal. Without realizing it many walk in bathtub manufacturers have created their products with design flaws. Purchasers need to be aware of those design flaws.
Step in height
This is a safety issue. Most walk in bath tubs have a high step into the tub of 6 to 7 inches. This height is actually dangerous for people with limited mobility. The reason they buy a walk in bathtub is because they can’t climb stairs or take large steps. Remember the purpose of the walk in bathtub is making bathing possible for those who cannot get in or out of a regular bathtub.
Tile Flange
A tile flange is the lip that extends above the bath tub by about an inch and a half. This allows the finishing material (tile, tub surround, etc) to hang over the lip to protect the drywall backing from getting wet and deteriorating. Most building codes require a tile flange. Many walk in bathtub manufacturers have neglected to add a tile flange to their bathtubs.
Bathtub size
Bigger is not always better. While manufacturers’ attempt to impress would-be purchasers by the size of their bathtubs, there are two things to keep in mind. If you are putting your bathtub in an existing bathroom it needs to fit, not only in the bathroom, but through the door. Secondly, the larger the size, the more water the bathtub will hold, making for a longer fill and drain time. Some people think that they want a bathtub where they can be immersed in water. That’s a great idea; but think how long it would take to fill and drain that tub while you sit inside waiting - that’s why such a bathtub does not exist. Remember too that when sitting in a traditional bathtub, your body is never immersed so why would you expect it to be in a walk in bathtub.
For further information regarding bathing safety and walk in bathtubs visit www.safetybath.com
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Safety Bath?… I’m Confused
Walk in bathtubs are everywhere on the internet. The walk in bathtub concept is relatively new. In 1992, when the concept first began, they were impossible to find, however, since that time the concept has grown exponentially as have the number of companies offering them online.
A walk in bathtub is a bathtub with a door that allows accessible bathtub entrance. There are a variety of styles, prices and manufacturers. Walk in bathtubs have become a popular item with seniors and baby boomers alike. Installed in private homes, retirement residences, assisted living facilities or long term care facilities, the walk in bathtub provides safe and comfortable bathing for those who want to remain independent. Although somewhat costly, the price of a walk in bathtub is less than what it might cost to stay in a care home for a month or two.
Because the walk in bathtub is a relative new comer to the market, many people have not even heard of such an item and those who have are not sure what to call them. Arising from the fact that a walk in bathtub is a safety item, many have come to calling a walk in bathtub “safety bath”. The name “Safety Bath” has come to refer to any type of walk in bathtub just as tissues have become known as Kleenex, adhesive bandages are commonly called Band Aids and snow machines are Skidoos.
Interestingly enough, the name Safety Bath, though synonymous with the walk in bathtub, is the name of the company that originated the walk in bathtub. That company began in Saskatchewan, Canada in 1992 when the inventor of the walk in bathtub, Ladimer Kowalchuk built such a tub for his dad who could not use a regular bathtub.
While other companies use the name with abandon, and it has become generic through suggestion, there is really only one true Safety Bath and that is this one.
Confused? … not any more.
A walk in bathtub is a bathtub with a door that allows accessible bathtub entrance. There are a variety of styles, prices and manufacturers. Walk in bathtubs have become a popular item with seniors and baby boomers alike. Installed in private homes, retirement residences, assisted living facilities or long term care facilities, the walk in bathtub provides safe and comfortable bathing for those who want to remain independent. Although somewhat costly, the price of a walk in bathtub is less than what it might cost to stay in a care home for a month or two.
Because the walk in bathtub is a relative new comer to the market, many people have not even heard of such an item and those who have are not sure what to call them. Arising from the fact that a walk in bathtub is a safety item, many have come to calling a walk in bathtub “safety bath”. The name “Safety Bath” has come to refer to any type of walk in bathtub just as tissues have become known as Kleenex, adhesive bandages are commonly called Band Aids and snow machines are Skidoos.
Interestingly enough, the name Safety Bath, though synonymous with the walk in bathtub, is the name of the company that originated the walk in bathtub. That company began in Saskatchewan, Canada in 1992 when the inventor of the walk in bathtub, Ladimer Kowalchuk built such a tub for his dad who could not use a regular bathtub.
While other companies use the name with abandon, and it has become generic through suggestion, there is really only one true Safety Bath and that is this one.
Confused? … not any more.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Does Certification for your Walk in Bathtub Matter?
Standards touch your life every day. Products that you encounter and use in daily life should be expected to conform to certain standards and certifications. Whether you are using your toaster, driving your car, using the elevator in a building or purchasing clothing or toys for your children, we all look to standards to ensure that product quality conforms to our expectations.
Canadian Standards International states “A standard is a document that has been prepared, approved, and published by a recognized standards organization, and contains rules, requirements, or procedures for an orderly approach to a specific activity. Standards may include product design requirements, test methods, classifications, recommended practices, and other considerations.
Many standards define safety requirements intended to reduce the risk of personal injury due to electrical shock or fire. Some standards set levels of performance for products. Some address social concerns, such as how our environment is managed or how information is used.” http://www.csa-international.org/who_accepts_csa/
For manufacturers, the process of certification is time consuming and very expensive. That cost is in-turn passed on to you the consumer, but it means a higher quality product and you can be confident that the manufacturer has put great effort into ensuring your safety. It also means that a product will be compatible with other household components such as electricity and plumbing.
There are a variety of walk in bathtubs on the market today with a great range in price. Those that are selling at an unbelievably low price are often not certified to Canadian and US standards. This may be because the manufacturer has just not wanted to spend the time or money to certify the product or it may be because the product is being manufactured in a country where such standards are not important.
When a qualified installer comes to do a walk in bathtub installation in your home, he/she must abide by the rules set out the trade industry which insist that the product being installed conform to CSA/UL standards for Canada and the US. If the product and or its components are not certified, a tradesperson cannot install it without putting his license as a tradesman in jeopardy. If there are problems with the product in regards to quality or safety you can go back to the manufacturer and expect to have the problem corrected.
A walk in bathtub is expected to ensure safe bathing for the user. What can be more important than safety, particularly to those who are most vulnerable, seniors and those with disabilities?
Does walk in bathtub certification matter? Yes, of course it does and though there may be models on the market that are so much less money than others, pay attention to their certification – it may mean the difference in your safety and yes, in even getting it installed.
For further information on safe bathing and walk in bathtubs visit http://www.safetybath.com
Canadian Standards International states “A standard is a document that has been prepared, approved, and published by a recognized standards organization, and contains rules, requirements, or procedures for an orderly approach to a specific activity. Standards may include product design requirements, test methods, classifications, recommended practices, and other considerations.
Many standards define safety requirements intended to reduce the risk of personal injury due to electrical shock or fire. Some standards set levels of performance for products. Some address social concerns, such as how our environment is managed or how information is used.” http://www.csa-international.org/who_accepts_csa/
For manufacturers, the process of certification is time consuming and very expensive. That cost is in-turn passed on to you the consumer, but it means a higher quality product and you can be confident that the manufacturer has put great effort into ensuring your safety. It also means that a product will be compatible with other household components such as electricity and plumbing.
There are a variety of walk in bathtubs on the market today with a great range in price. Those that are selling at an unbelievably low price are often not certified to Canadian and US standards. This may be because the manufacturer has just not wanted to spend the time or money to certify the product or it may be because the product is being manufactured in a country where such standards are not important.
When a qualified installer comes to do a walk in bathtub installation in your home, he/she must abide by the rules set out the trade industry which insist that the product being installed conform to CSA/UL standards for Canada and the US. If the product and or its components are not certified, a tradesperson cannot install it without putting his license as a tradesman in jeopardy. If there are problems with the product in regards to quality or safety you can go back to the manufacturer and expect to have the problem corrected.
A walk in bathtub is expected to ensure safe bathing for the user. What can be more important than safety, particularly to those who are most vulnerable, seniors and those with disabilities?
Does walk in bathtub certification matter? Yes, of course it does and though there may be models on the market that are so much less money than others, pay attention to their certification – it may mean the difference in your safety and yes, in even getting it installed.
For further information on safe bathing and walk in bathtubs visit http://www.safetybath.com
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
The Price you Pay for a Walk in Bathtub
There is much to do about the price one must pay for a walk in bathtub. With prices varying from the $3500 range to well above $10,000, it seems that the “luxury” of a walk in bathtub is unaffordable for many.
There is, however, another way to look at the cost of the walk in bathtub. Those who are in most need of a walk in bathtub are the elderly and those with handicaps. At some point in time, the need becomes a definite necessity and without being able to bathe and attend to personal hygiene safely, the alternative is some form of assisted living.
The move to an assisted living facility or care home is the end of independence for someone who is accustomed to feeling they can care for themselves. It is also very expensive. One month’s stay in a facility will cost a minimum of $1000.
In that light, a walk in bathtub becomes an economical alternative by allowing the user to remain at home, bathing safely and independently. With a number of programs available to assist financially with a walk in bathtub purchase, the price you pay for a walk in bathtub makes a lot more sense.
There is, however, another way to look at the cost of the walk in bathtub. Those who are in most need of a walk in bathtub are the elderly and those with handicaps. At some point in time, the need becomes a definite necessity and without being able to bathe and attend to personal hygiene safely, the alternative is some form of assisted living.
The move to an assisted living facility or care home is the end of independence for someone who is accustomed to feeling they can care for themselves. It is also very expensive. One month’s stay in a facility will cost a minimum of $1000.
In that light, a walk in bathtub becomes an economical alternative by allowing the user to remain at home, bathing safely and independently. With a number of programs available to assist financially with a walk in bathtub purchase, the price you pay for a walk in bathtub makes a lot more sense.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
How to Find Financial Assistance for your Walk in Bathtub Purchase
- When it comes to purchasing a walk in bathtub many people find the cost prohibitive. Those people who most likely need such a bathtub are seniors or those with disabilities who are on fixed incomes. So what is one to do?
Here are a number of possible Canadian and US resources that can help you if you need financial assistance when purchasing a walk in bathtub.
CANADIAN RESOURCES
You may be able to claim the walk in bath as a medical expense on your personal income tax. Your doctor will need to indicate that you need a walk in bathtub. The Disability Tax Credit Form T2201E is available as a pdf document.
•In January 2009, the Canadian government intoduced the Home Renovation Tax Credit on work performed or goods acquired in the process of home renovations. The purchase and installation of Safety Bath products can be used for the HRTC. More information on the Home Renovation Tax Credit is available here.
•The Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program (RRAP) for Persons with Disabilities offers financial assistance to homeowners and landlords to undertake accessibility work to modify dwellings occupied or intended for occupancy by low-income persons with disabilities.
•If you are a Veteran, Canadian Veterans Independence Services may be able to assist you with home adaptations to modify things like bathrooms, kitchens and doorways
•Investigate your personal health insurance plan
US RESOURCES
•USDA-Rural Development Housing & Community Facilities Programs The Single-Family Housing Program provides homeownership opportunities to low and moderate-income rural Americans through several loan, grant, and guarantee programs. The program also makes funding available to individuals to finance vital improvements necessary to make their homes decent, safe, and sanitary.
•US Department of Housing and Urban Development - Reverse mortgages for Seniors
•The National Home Modification Action Coalition - Home Modification Resources
•Coverage may be available through Medicare or Medicaid
•Senior Health Care Advocates of America has great information regarding discounts for hydrotherapy bathtubs. Qualified applicants must be a senior or disabled person with age related health issues.
•Deductibility of Certain Capital Expenditures to Personal Residence as Deductible Medical Expense
•Investigate your personal health care insurance plan
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Are You Doing Your Best to Keep Her Smiling?
Mary lives in a nursing home/long term care facility. Each day she is assisted to some degree in her daily activities by helpful and kind staff, and she is for the most part happy with her life in this new environment. She usually has a smile on her face. Twice a week Mary has a bath. Although she is ambulatory with the aid of her walker, she cannot step into a regular bathtub so the only option open to her is to be placed in a lift and raised into the air and then lowered into a special bathtub. These are the worst times of the week for Mary. While her bath should be relaxing, comfortable and enjoyable, Mary feels degraded and frightened by the lift. At those times, Mary’s smile is gone; so is her dignity.
Since 1992, Safety Bath Inc., a small Canadian company, has been progressively dedicated to making life better for people like Mary. In that year, owner and inventor, Ladimer Kowalchuk, began a search for a bathtub that would permit his father, a large man of over 300 lbs with very bad knees, to enjoy a safe bath. Finding no suitable products on the market, Ladimer invented a walk in bathtub that would make bathing safe, easy and dignified for his dad. In time, the bathtub made to help one man, was helping thousands across North America.
Bathing Independence for Everyone
Ladimer recognized that there were other groups of people who needed to remain independent…there were baby boomers who wanted to age in place; and what about those in long term care facilities who, like Mary, had some ambulatory ability and for the sake of convenience were being lifted into a bathtub….what about their dignity? Believing that there was need for such a bathtub in facilities where a more homelike, less threatening environment was the trend, the Safety Bath Supreme was designed to fill the gap between a regular household bathtub and an institutional lift tub.
The Bathtub for Long Term Care Facilities
Special features were incorporated into the Supreme to make it suitable for use in long term facilities where multiple users access the same bathtub, including the implementation of a hygienic San-Air Whirlpool system and a built in disinfection system. The Supreme walk in bathtub was designed with people like Mary in mind, but its benefits are evident for the caregiver and the facility as well.
For the Client
• Easy access for the client, promotes, rather than thwarts, independence
• Provides a safe, comfortable, friendly environment.
• Multiple jets provide therapeutic relief and promote relaxation
• Clients love the privacy provided by the height of the tub which obscures the caregiver's line of sight
For the Care-Giver
• Significantly lowers the risk of caregiver related injuries
• Clients as well as all operating components are within easy reach at all times
• Outward swing door makes emergency access possible
• Minimal or no lifting at all required if the client is ambulatory
For the Facility
• Reduced drain and fill time as opposed to institutional lift tubs, allowing more baths per day per unit.
• Requires very little space
• Environmentally friendly, uses 50% less water than a lift tub
• Economically viable - is less expensive than a lift tub and uses less sanitizing chemical in operation
• Ability to use an optional lift provides versatility and adaptability to changing needs
The Supreme is part of a very successful line of quality walk in bathtubs, designed by Safety Bath Inc. to make bathing a relaxing and pleasant experience for thousands who have mobility limitations.
Learn more about accessible bathtub products for long term care from Safety Bath Inc., by visiting http://www.safetybathsupreme.com or calling 877 826 6666
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