Forums Forums Wirral Information Ask - Wiki Wirral Bath Lifts

Has anybody got any experience of using a Bath Lift, i.e. which type is best, inflatable or mechanical? any advice would be welcome, I don't want to buy the wrong one, they're too expensive. at first glance the inflatable seems to be the best bet, but experience is invaluable. thanks and regards .Locomotive

I'd buy one off Ebay, a lot cheaper. Also stairs lifts have sold for £5, no joking. Some usually say you have to dismantle it yourself but they are dead easy to do. Google it. Can save you £100's.

My ageing mum got one recently, and got rid of it a week later.

It was the sucker-to-bath, electric motor, rechargeable battery type.

Despite not being sold on the idea, the lift got her in and out the bath just fine though you still have to raise your legs to the horizontal to get them over the bath edge.

The problem was that it makes it even harder to thoroughly clean the parts that need cleaning at her age, if you get the drift.

Previously she had an in-bath shower and wanted a walk-in shower but the local authority wanted her to have the much cheaper bath lift which was useless for her circumstances.

I think she now does a fosbury flop into the in-bath shower for the moment which is far from ideal and will result in a fall sometime.

Interesting that the in-bath lift was provided free but they claimed her financial circumstances didn't allow for a walk-in shower (wet room or whatever) to be provided.

So back to your question .... I'd guess the inflatable one would be better while bathing because the mechanical lifts reduce the width of the bath and make wriggling around to wash the undercarriage even harder. I've no idea what the security/safety of the inflatables are like in the raised position.

Better still are shower enclosures with built in seats and handles, I've known a few old people with these and despite a slight struggle with the step in they seem to have no problem. If its not on a solid floor there is no reason for the step to be of any great height other than a water barrier.

Of course a wet room is even better but the price is still stupidly high.

My mum had an electric one too for a couple of years. It worked well in that I wasnt strong enough to take her weight getting her in or out. She wouldnt try a blow up one as she said she had no confidence it wouldn't wobble .

Same problem as DD's mum with washing , and if I was buying again , Id get one with the biggest cut out U shape at the front , that I could get. Another slight problem is that you have to have the water quite deep as the seat even when lowered on some models, is still quite a few inches from the bottom of the bath ,so you cant that easily have a real good deep soak.

Secondhand ones can be a good buy , but you may find the battery is at the end of its life, and about 5 yrs ago a replacement one was about £35+ if I recall.

If theres more than one person living in the house though, its a bit of a nuisance lifting the contraption in and out of the bath, although some units are lighter than others, which may be a consideration if thats whats going to happen

My mum used to use a soap free liquid partly for her skin, and partly because it reduced any deposits like ..., on the equipment.

As they are 'freestanding' you can take them visiting too, to use in a different bath . They fold down and will go in the boot.

Those seats as DD says, restrict washing in the most difficult places.

Have a look through all of these, if you have already done so. It give a variety of idea. Probably cheaper to get a new bath !

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=i...Ri6An8Q_AUICigB&biw=1084&bih=474