Manufactured safety.

Taking a bath or shower in a safe environment is important. Special attention needs to be given to ways of reducing injuries to caregivers assisting in bathing. New ideas and designs for placement of safety bars, water retention, showers instead of tubs, and low thresholds are just some of the safety issues being addressed by bathing system manufacturers. When the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was introduced, it became clear that special needs were in large part overlooked. Great strides have been made in the manufacturing sector and more improvements are on the horizon.

Safety Bars--Correct placement of safety bars is vital for everyone. These bars assist the caregiver in properly positioning residents by allowing the residents to balance themselves while standing or sitting in the shower. The ADA recommends as a general rule that safety bars in showers be placed horizontally between 33 inches and 36 inches off the floor. This is a good starting point but I don't believe these parameters fit the needs of everyone. As we lose our upper body strength, we need to have different leverage points to "pull" ourselves up from a seated position. This is best accomplished by offering vertically or diagonally positioned bars in lengths accommodating a variety of body sizes and shapes. Shower manufacturers need to allow for the placement of safety bars in any position by having sufficient backing built into the integrity of the showers. This allows for placement of additional safety bars as needed to accommodate changing abilities.

Low Thresholds--Another critical feature in creating a safer bathing environment: low- or no-threshold entrance barriers. ADA clearly addresses this concern but many developers and facility owners opt to install traditional bathtubs instead of the newer barrier free showers available. These new showers allow for much easier and safer access into the bathing area (whether the resident walks in unassisted or needs assistance) and have been one of the most innovative manufacturing improvements in recent years. Eliminating the required motion of stepping up and/or over a barrier greatly reduces accidents for residents and caregivers. It's my judgment that continuing to use any product requiring this is a mistake by those making the decisions. Let's make it as easy as possible to get our residents into and out of their bathing station.

Water Retention--More accidents are created by slippery floors than any other single factor, so keeping the water inside the wet area of the bathing system is extremely important. There are two primary considerations for water retention in barrier free showers: the proper-sized and weighted shower curtain, and some kind of collapsible material at the entrance of the shower. Remember, these new barrier free showers have a flat entrance so there is no way to keep the water from draining out of the shower and onto the bathroom floor. Several new accessories have been designed to address this problem and have produced useful results. These vary from hollow rubber tubes that easily collapse when stepped on or rolled over, to flexible membranes that attach to the shower entrance.

Whatever the design, they need to keep the water from running out of the shower and give the bottom of the shower curtain something to rest against to prevent it from "blowing" out of the shower.

Lifts and Hoists--These are extremely important when residents are severely disabled. Moving residents without this type of assistance risks debilitating injury. These new lifts come in various designs from ceiling mounted, fixed positions to mobile units that can be set up anywhere, to bath lifts that can be placed directly in the tub, They are lightweight and can easily handle 250 pounds.

These are just some of the considerations we are confronted with as a bathing system manufacturer. We realize there are more and we are committed to attending to them.

Jeff Mooney is sales manager at Best Bath Systems, which specializes in luxurious bathing units for people of all abilities. He may be contacted at 866-573-1116 or at [e-mail]