Planning for a Lifetime Shower
You’ll thank yourself later (maybe sooner)
Ask my husband what he thinks about walk-in showers. He had never thought he’d need one, but this spring, while playing racquetball, he slipped on a wet spot on the court and tore his Achilles tendon.
He can’t put any weight on the leg with the cast. A device called a Roll-A-Bout helps him get around, but stairs are out of the question—even a single step up or down requires standing on one leg and dragging the device behind him.
He’d be looking at sponge baths for months if we didn’t have a walk-in shower. And I couldn’t have helped, because I’m getting around with a walker after having had a sudden and unplanned hip replacement. So a big walk-in shower was exactly what both of us needed. It’s quicker, easier, and safer to use than a bathtub.
A walk-in shower is one of three kinds of showers for people with reduced mobility. A roll-in shower is another option, and the third is a much smaller transfer-in shower.
Any of these can be built in your home, giving you another tool that enables you to age in place. Let’s take a look at each one.
