I worked for over two years at a nursing facility that specialized in elderly individuals suffering from the late stages of dementia so I have chosen to showcase a few design examples that I was around on the daily basis. As a building, we required a lot of equipment specially designed to make their lives easier, equipment that allowed our residents to be as mobile and self-reliant as possible. One of the hardest areas for our residents to be independent in was hygiene. Showers, baths, and using the restroom were really hard to navigate and could even be dangerous in certain scenarios. Because of this our building utilized the walk-in bathtub for our more mobile residents and a gliding shower chair for our wheelchair-bound users.
The walk-in tub was used inside our building but was also a target to anyone dealing with mobility issues. Bathtubs are slippery and lowering yourself down and getting up again can be a real struggle when dealing with arthritis, osteoporosis, or missing limbs. The tub was designed with a door and a built-in chair for comfort and easy access that didn’t involve stepping over a tub lip. It did wonders for our resident’s independence and made hygiene an easier task. I think the design is well done and functions as it should but it excludes anyone who can’t afford it . . . which is most people. It is an expensive piece of equipment and it isn’t covered by medicare.
The second designed piece of gear was this sliding shower chair that functioned pretty well for most hygiene needs. I never handled the equipment personally but I know it made the lives of our staff and our residents easier. It allowed wheelchair users to access tubs. This equipment did need a staff member to assist the resident to be used safely effectively. I think one thing that could be improved upon in the design is the addition of a safety measure. A seat belt that the resident could clip together for their comfort or per our staff’s advice would be beneficial to the design and increase the safety of the entire process. Nothing is scary to our residents or our staff than one of our residents falling out of their chairs or falling in general. In extreme cases, it could and has lead to permanent injury or death. And this is why accessibility is so very important in all walks of life and design.
