Ada Bathroom IdeasAshley S BathroomNana'S BathroomSandy S BathroomFurniture BathroomBathtub HandicapHandicapped BathroomHandicap DecorHandicap HousesForwardExtra wide tub, non commercial 42" wide>>> See it. J Rehabil Res Dev. 2000 May-Jun;37(3):373-82.Malassigné P1, Nelson AL, Cors MW, Amerson TL.Author information1Research Service, Clement J. Zablocki VAMC, Milwaukee, WI 53295-1000, USA. pmalassi@miad.eduAbstractThe purpose of this development project was to design a new commode-shower chair that can be safely used by individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCI) and their caregivers. The need for this new design was consumer-driven. Patients and caregivers identified the following fatal flaws in the commode-shower chairs used in Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) centers: 1) risk for patient falls during transfers, propelling, and while leaning over for showering; 2) risk for pressure ulcers due to inadequate padding and seat positioning for lengthy bowel care regimes; 3) inadequate caregiver access to the perianal area of the patient to perform bowel care procedures;
and, 4) wheel-related inability to properly position the chair directly over the toilet. The new, self-propelled chair addresses each of these concerns. Lockable, swing-away, pivoting armrests and improved, lever-activated brakes were designed to facilitate safe transfers. An innovative foot-lift was invented to facilitate washing of feet. Larger handrims were designed to aid in propulsion in wet environments. To prevent pressure ulcers, a chair frame and padding combination was designed to facilitate a seating position that optimally distributes body weight to prevent the development of pressure ulcers in the sacral and ischial areas. To address the common risk of heel ulcers, footrests, featuring edgeless, rounded heel cups, were designed. A new tubular chair frame, a new seat and smaller wheels were designed to enhance caregiver access and ensure proper chair positioning over the toilet. Following its successful clinical evaluation at the Milwaukee and Tampa VA Medical SCI Centers, the Advanced commode-shower chair is being patented by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
The VA has partnered with Everest & Jennings, to make this chair available commercially.PMID: 10917269 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Publication TypesResearch Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.MeSH TermsActivities of Daily Living*Baths/instrumentation*Equipment Design/methodsEquipment SafetyHumansSelf-Help Devices*Sensitivity and SpecificitySpinal Cord Injuries/rehabilitation*Wheelchairs*Other Literature SourcesCOS Scholar UniverseMedicalAssistive Devices - MedlinePlus Health InformationMobility Aids - MedlinePlus Health InformationSpinal Cord Injuries - MedlinePlus Health InformationOops, This Page Could Not Be Found!People who are living with spinal cord injury can do just about anything that anyone else who is not paralyzed can do: they just have to find alternative ways to do it. Part of spinal cord injury rehabilitation is teaching patients to live again using adaptive devices, which are prescribed by a doctor, physical therapist or occupational therapist. People with quadriplegia, in which both the arms and the legs are impaired, often need special devices to help them eat.
Because their abilities range from difficulty grasping a utensil to complete paralysis of the arms, a wide range of feeding equipment is available for people with a spinal cord injury. Some benefit from utensils with larger handles or utensils that slide into cuffs fastened around the hand. A bowl or plate with a lip or a plastic plate guard can make scooping easier. Some people with more involved injuries use sling systems so that they can get food to their mouth. Additional equipment is available for drinking and includes sipper cups with easy access handles as well as long straws. Simple devices added to clothing can make dressing easier for a person with a spinal cord injury. Some examples include zipper pulls and d-rings, which eliminate the need to grasp smaller fasteners: the person can operate them by hooking her thumb through the loops. Additionally, OTs may sew loops onto underwear and pants to make pulling them on easier. Other equipment that makes dressing easier include a grabber with a long handle and a sock aid.
People with lower level spinal cord injuries can be pretty independent with their daily living tasks, including toileting and showering. Bathroom equipment for paraplegics with a low level of injury include a tub transfer bench or shower chair and a commode with an optional removable armrest. A person with a higher level of paraplegia or quadriplegia may benefit from a rolling shower chair, which can roll in and out of an adapted shower and can double as a commode. Jefferson Magee Rehabilitation also recommends installing grab bars in the shower and around the toilet for extra stability. Other equipment is available to help with the little things most people take for granted. A person with paraplegia still needs to sign his name, use a phone or type on the computer. Some people can use a writing aid that attaches to the hand and can also serve as a phone-dialer and keyboard aid. For someone with a high level of quadriplegia, a mouth stick is his lifeline. This can be used to type on a computer, dial a phone or use an environmental control unit.
Someone with a high level of injury may need an environmental control unit or an electronic aid to daily living (EADL). EADLs allow a person to control such devices as lights, the television, a phone or even windows and doors without any assistance from others. These devices can be operated without using the arms, such as a through a sip-and-puff straw or pads activated by moving the head. Gain 2 pounds per week Gain 1.5 pounds per week Gain 1 pound per week Gain 0.5 pound per week Maintain my current weight Lose 0.5 pound per week Lose 1 pound per week Lose 1.5 pounds per week Lose 2 pounds per week Foods to Avoid for Spinal Cord Injury Patients How to Care for the Paraplegic Stretching Exercises for Paraplegic Spasms Muscle Spasms After Stretching Physical Exercises a Paraplegic Person Can Do Exercises for Spasming Shoulders Occupational Therapy & Shoulder Rotator Cuff Exercises Purpose of Vitamin C & Spinal Cord Injury