Does anybody have any experience with walk in bath tubs?

[LaydeeBug]

We only have one bathroom, and my elderly Dad is having a hard time getting into our regular bath tub. I love taking baths, but love Dad more, so I am not completely averse to putting in a walk in shower, but the walk in tubs seem to have a lot to offer…*if* they're not too good to be true.

Does anyone have any experience with these?

[Warpy]

1. I think that bathroom had better be kept in the 90s if you don't want him chilled

while he sits there waiting for the water to come up. You can't run a bath and get into it, in other words, unless you're athletic enough to go over the top.

I'd go with the shower, honestly, because shower chairs can be used in them and those are a great help to old folks.

Put in the shower and sweet talk him into getting a hot tub?

[JimDandy]

4. So the bather also has to sit there until the water fully drains?

Sounds too ridiculous to be an answer for the elderly.

[Warpy]

6. Yeppers. I can see these things being useful in summer

but the walk in shower is much better for the rest of the year when you don't want to freeze as the water drains out. I suppose you could sit in it and use it as a shower, but a walk in shower would be easier to get into.

I've had arthritis since my teens and when my cat goes to her eternal reward and I can decamp to a hotel for a week or so, my bathroom reno is going to include tearing the tub out. It's hard to get into and out of and too small for anyone over the age of six to bathe in, a builder's special from 1946. While soaking in hot water sounds lovely sometimes, I've rejected those step in tubs as a way to achieve it.

[rowdysmith]

23. i prefer walk in tubs than showers

It's all a matter of taste - I hate showers and love Walk In Bath Tubs. I've no doubt you keep yourself nice and clean with a shower but I've never used them and really don't want to.

[Warpy]

24. I have an unheated bathroom and when it's below zero outside

the wheezing floor furnace will get it up to the high 40s. Jumping in and out of a shower as quickly as possible is the best plan.

[NYC_SKP]

2. I think warpy's advice is sage. I'd never thought about it that way.

He could only enter with the tub empty. Then he has to sit there while it fills.

Just doesn't make sense.

What's good about walk-in tubs?

If a walk-in bathtub is on your wish list, a quick review of the advantages and disadvantages is in order. The first and most obvious advantage is that a walk-in bathtub makes bathing easier. In addition to the door, these bathtubs are designed to prevent slipping: Handrails, seats and textured pads help you keep your head above water and enjoy the experience without worry. Installing a walk-in bath could also raise the value of your home, especially if you live in a retirement community.
What could go wrong?

There are some disadvantages to walk-in bathtubs. First, you must enter the tub and shut the door before turning on the water. Besides becoming impatient (and maybe chilly) while the tub fills, you could have difficulty getting the right water temperature. Waiting for the bath to drain before you exit is another factor to consider. Although many of the walk-in bathtub manufacturers have addressed these problems with fast-filling faucets, fast-moving drains and temperature controls, these features add to your total cost.

A second concern with a walk-in tub is related to installation. Because the tubs are large, you might have to buy a new and more powerful hot water heater in order to use the tub properly. In this case, you must add the expense of a new hot water heater and its installation to the cost of the walk-in bathtub, which isn't cheap. Expect to pay anywhere from $2,500 for a lower-end model up to $10,000 for one with all the works.

http://www.angieslist.com/articles/pros-and-cons-walk-bathtubs.htm

[Historic NY]

3. Try a shower chair ...

its allows him to sit down and slide into the tub safely.

The problem with the walk in tubs is you lose the shower capability for others unless you do further modifications.

My brother had to mount a wall shower wand so others could use his. I went with the shower chair for my uncle with a wand attachment to the shower head. Installing a couple of hand rails for the bathroom are also helpful. If you have a medical supply company in the area check with them, there might be newer adaptable devices out there.

[Auggie]

13. +1 ...

my dad (85) uses this.

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

5. You can buy a fiberglass walk in shower

complete with two seats and shower walls that fits in where your tub is. For what you are talking about that is the perfect solution-easy to install and looks great.

I have installed about five of those over the years.You can get the one piece or the assembly type. A few years back those came at a cost of about six hundred dollars ,I am sure it's a bit more now but those units are very nice. You can get that type of walk in install with one seat if you prefer that. The length of the unit is 5 feet the same as your tub. The two seater type are best I think. You can look at those on line -lowe's -home depot and any supplier that deals in kitchen and bath .Again easy to install and easy to remove. You will of course reposition your floor drain and valve assembly to accommodate the walk in.But thats no big deal.

Railing and a bath chair works too. But if it's quality you want,those walk in's with seats are really great.

Good luck to you with your project and Merry Christmas.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

7. My brother installed one for his elderly/frail father-in-law.

The old dude loves it. They installed a wall mount TV and now he doesn't want to leave the tub. LOL

My brother did mention it has a dual drain for quick draining.

[anasv]

8. warmth

I keep my bathroom warm with a little portable electric heater when I'm taking a bath.

As a bath devotee, the problem with showers is that you get your hair wet, even with a shower cap some of it gets wet. Also, showers are not as relaxing and not suitable for soaking.

[clamshells]

21. exactly, anasv.

I could have written your post myself. I use a little portable electric heater when I'm taking a bath. Same complaints about showers.

I wish I could soak, but I am living in my late Mom's house, and she had a smallish tub installed, like maybe 5 feet, with the back against a wall, so soaking is just not comfortable. In my old house, the tub was longer and the back was freestanding.

It does not take that long to fill or drain the tub. Perhaps I use less water? I would guess 8 inches deep.

[jeepnstein]

9. They have their uses.

I have to help a friend with ALS some times when his wife is sick and his family is unavailable. His walk-in tub is nice but it's really just a glorified walk-in shower. He likes it because when he sits in it he can't tip over. They are useless as a tub and if there's a problem you can't drain it or open it fast enough. I'd never put an elderly person into one and let them take a bath. Oh, and they are EXPENSIVE. My friend wouldn't do it over again and I can't recommend one for you, either.

A really large walk-in shower with no curb would be the ticket. Figure on something big enough you could step in and give them a hand if necessary. Lots of grab handles!

[timslack12]

10. Try Therapy Tubs

I have heard alot of great things about this company Therapy Tubs. They provide a great product apparently, check them out here http://www.therapytubs.com/

Good luck

[Denzil_DC]

12. What about a bath lift?

Various models here at different price points, some inflatable: http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=bathing+cushion&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.Xinflatable+bath+lift&_nkw=inflatable+bath+lift&_sacat=0 Just to give you an idea of what's available. I'm sure you could beat those prices if you shopped around, maybe locally.

[demigoddess]

15. I priced one about 10 years ago.

it was 12,000 dollars to buy. And the drawbacks being mentioned would put me off. I have a handicapped daughter who I have to bathe in a tub/shower arrangement. She can't be left alone in the water because of the possibility of drowning and the tub gets in the way of me cleaning the tub, doing her hair and then I have to help her out. I would go with the shower and a very comfortable chair. Another alternative is eliminate the shower stall and make it an all bathroom shower. but then you would have to slant the whole floor toward the drain. very expensive

[No Vested Interest]

16. Have you given thought or used a transfer bench

for the bathtub?
The transfer bench sits in and outside the tub.
The user sits on the outside part then lifts or has someone help him/her lift his legs into the tub.

We used this quite successfully for my husband when he needed assistance in bathing.
I have a small walk-in shower, which I use and love (with a small bench) but it would not have worked in that I would not have been able to assist him.

If a walk-in shower is decided on, it needs to be large enough to accommodate the person who will assist - if not now, perhaps in the future.

[LaydeeBug]

17. I actually wound up buying a transfer bench, but Daddy passed before we could try it nt

[arielschoenberg]

18. Does anybody have any experience with walk in bath tubs?

My Dad got one and he loves it. Sometimes he does want to even get out, and the best part is that I can still enjoy this by taking a bath.

[mrmpa]

19. Home Depot has a less expensive alternative.............

I was quoted $400 (haven't done it yet), where they cut a door into your existing tub, seal it, etc. & you're good to go.

[TygrBright]

20. The care facility my uncle spent his last couple of years in invested in several walk-in tubs.

They had varying degrees of amenities and operational styles that made a difference as far as how the tubs were supposed to be used.

But they were all heated, that is, the tubs themselves were heated, in the seat and the walls, as well as the water itself being hot, to prevent the chilling issue, and of course the bathrooms all had wall heaters to supplement the "regular" heat.

Filling time varied depending on the tub type, with some of the smaller ones being surprisingly fast-- once you're sitting in there, your body displaces a lot of water and it comes up pretty quick. Depending on your plumbing system's pressure, you could fill a tub to waist level in 2-3 minutes.

The real down side is the drain time, because of course, the other end applies, too- you can't open the tub to get out until the water level is below the door bottom. However, there are some pretty clever "fast drain" designs out there that whoosh the water out quite quickly.

Some of the tubs' advantages depend on the model. They may come with different kinds of jets, and different configurations for the seat, so that you're more or less sitting up straight or recumbent. They may be designed to fill to various levels, up to the shoulders in some cases, lower in others. Some come with a shower option, so that you need only sit and use the shower - both hand-held and static options are available.

My uncle had a foot condition, and they'd help bundle him into a warm robe, turn the tub heater on, and sit him in it and run the water just deep enough to give him a foot bath.

Those tubs were designed to be very easy in/easy out but they still had a "lip" that the door bottom fit into, so they're not for someone who can't lift their feet unassisted.

The down side of the tubs, according to the folks who ran the place, was not just that they are pricey, but that the installation was complicated and expensive- they needed to reconfigure the floor drain options, reinforce one of the walls for a shower model, etc. You should plan on getting an installer who knows the ins and outs of the walk-in tub, because they are different.

But we were fairly impressed with the flexibility it gave- there are many conditions for which a relaxing soak is therapeutically superior to a shower.

informatively,
Bright

[greymouse]

22. grab bars, mats, heaters

I used to take baths until I clobbered both knees this past year. It is just plain dangerous now for me to try to get in and out of a bathtub.

What I settled on is using a regular shower that's in a bath tub. If I stand backwards and hold onto a grab bar, I can swing a leg out without bending the knee much and get over the edge of the tub that way. I use a non-slip mat on the floor of the tub, of course.

When I was still trying to take baths, the non-slip mat helped there as well in giving me a more secure footing getting in and out.

I can't say enough good things about grab bars. One that's particularly useful is at about shoulder level horizontally, so I can hold that when I turn around or reach down to wash my legs.

I'm another person who runs a small electric heater while I take a shower and dry off.

[roody]

25. A transfer bench might make your

bathing even easier.

[HillJeffrey10]

26. Depends

It depends if you have any experience with walk in showers or not. In case if your dad is comfortable with walk-in showers more than tubs.. you should go for shower then.

[LaydeeBug]

27. Your very first post, all for my little thread, welcome to DU

It isn't the first one to bring this years old thread back...

Daddy died two years ago...

[NMDemDist2]

28. i'm sorry for your loss

[LaydeeBug]

29. Thank you. It's been really hard without him. nt

[mahina]

36. So sorry Laydeebug.

Wishing your heart comfort

[Hassin Bin Sober]

30. Sorry to hear that.

Ironically my brother's very frail father in law he installed to walk-in tub for outlived my brother. My brother died suddenly 2 years ago.

The father in law passed a couple months ago.

[LaydeeBug]

31. Sorry to hear about your brother. And his father in law.

Grief is tricky plastic.

[Ovens1986]

33. Walk in bathtubs really good old person

Walk in tubs are mainly very significant for a senior and handicapped person. They are intended for them only. One can easily obtain walk-in tubs. I have one for my Grandpa who is 80 years old.

[gopiscrap]

34. welcome to DU

[shanti]

35. My cousin

has Parkinsons and bought a home that had one in already. She LOVES it and told me that new ones are around $15000 and maybe more! Bit too pricey for me! I only have one bathroom too and never take baths. Would like a walk in shower though...