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Bathroom Aids

Using the best and most appropriate bathroom aids will help ensure your safety as you go through your daily washing routine. Bathrooms are high risk areas due to the danger of slips and falls on wet floors and of the problems getting in and out of the bath with a hip that shouldn't (and won't) be bent.

PLEASE TAKE CARE

Grab bars and grab rails

Probably one of the most important bathroom aids on the market. Grab bars (sometimes referred to as grab rails) are another essential. Use them anywhere you need help getting up or down or where you might slip. The rails can be attached to studded walls or clamped to the side of the bath or shower unit.

It may be useful to have one near the loo, to help you get up and down, when you no longer need a raised toilet seat.

Having one for the bath is a must.

Anti-Slip Mats

Having suitable mats in the bathroom is absolutely essential to your safety.

Floor mat - these should be designed for bathroom use and have a non-slip backing. A good absorbent surface will also help take the worst of the water off your feet helping solve the problem of getting them dried.
Shower mat - mainly used to stop you slipping in the shower but do keep your eyes open for innovations. I saw one on Dragon's Den that you could use to wash your feet without bending down. The designer hadn't taken into account how useful this would be for people with stiff joints and the idea was totally rejected!
Bath mat - you won't be using this for some time but you will need one when you're ready to start using the bath again. Getting in and out of a bath is a tricky business and a good bath mat will reduce the risk of a slip and fall.

Shower equipment

Showers are the ideal way to keep clean and the best type of shower for the hip replacement patient is a stand-alone shower unit. The shower should be fitted with a shower seat which must be adjusted to the appropriate height to stop you bending your hip to far.

The alternatives are either: -

an over-the-bath shower - I would not recommend using one of these until you are totally steady on your feet and able to get in and out of the bath without risk. Never even think of using one of these without a bath mat in place.
a shower hose fitted to the bath tabs - once you can get onto a bath seat this is a good way to rinse yourself down. The down side is that it has neither the comfort factor of a bath or a shower.

Bath equipment

Having a bath is a luxury you will have to go without for a few weeks post-op. A shame, I know. I love lying in a bath of hot water and find it really helps ease away the aches and pains of arthritic conditions and the soreness you may experience post-op.

Once you are able to use a bath seat you can start to use the bath to wash but it's more functional than comfortable unless you are willing to splash out on very expensive bathroom aids.

A bath seat means you don't have to lower yourself all the way into the tub and risk slipping or bending your hip too far. The one I had stretched over the top of the bath (more a bath bench) and I could use the shower hose to rinse myself down. However you do need to be careful getting on and off the seat and not over reaching to get the hose.

A transfer bench can also be of help in getting into the bath.

A more expensive option but a great one if you know you are going to need a long-term solution is an easy access bath. These are normally marketed as walk-in baths. The tub opens on one side allowing you to enter and shut the waterproof door. There is normally a seat for you to rest on. The disadvantage is having to sit there waiting for the bath to fill.

Another pricey option - and again only for people who'd need a long term solution would be a bath hoist or bath lift- however these do require assistance to operate.

Washing at the sink

Your final option is to wash at the bathroom sink. This is ideal for a quick rinse of face and hands but gets trickier if you want to wash more of yourself. A perching stool is recommended. This is a specialist stool that has a seat that is tilted forward a bit to allow you to half sit and half stand. You will find one of these useful in the kitchen as well (for doing the washing up).

Long-handed brushes and scrubbers

One of the cheapest and best value for money bathroom aids available. Reaching your feet is going to be a problem for a few weeks so make use of one of the long-handed brushes, loofers or scrubbers. I particularly liked the strip of loofer that had a handle on each end. You can hook it over your foot and pull it from side to side using the handles. Once your foot is clean, turn the loofer over and there is a smooth, softer side to use for rinsing the soap away.

Are bathroom aids essential?

Absolutely yes to some of them such as the raised toilet seat, the grab bars, the long handled brushes and the shower seats (if you have a shower of course) and less so for the expensive equipement.