Over 10 million people in the UK are aged 65+ and this figure is set to grow.[i] Add to this the fact that disability rises with age and inclusive bathroom solutions are becoming increasingly specified. Here Stuart Reynolds, UK Marketing & Product Management Director at AKW, shows that thanks to advances in digital pumps and electric showers, and lessons learned from poor installations, leak resistant accessible showering is possible over the long-term.
The AKW technical team has put together a guide for specifiers and installers. It includes things to remember when specifying initial products, some best practice advice and preparation and installation tips for installers. It includes the following:
Should a wet room or a shower tray be specified?
Following OT assessment, it should become clear if a shower tray or former is better suited to meet the person’s needs. Shower trays are more cost-effective to install than level-access wet rooms, however formers might be more suitable for those looking to future-proof the adaptation - as formers can stand the combined weight of a wheelchair user and carer.
For example, AKW’s Tuff Form and Tuff Form8 wet room formers are the easiest way to install a wet room and will comfortably support wheelchair users and carers and have a weight limit of 60 stone (381 kg). For greater weight bearing needs, AKW’s ShowerDec® wet room former can support up to 100 stone (635 kg). For shower trays, AKW’s Swift option for corner entry showering has a weight bearing limit of 42 stone (270 kg) and the company’s Eagle TWO Shower Tray offers a bath replacement shower tray that has a weight bearing limit of 42 stone (270 kg) and can be cut to length.
Drainage concerns?
The best specified and installed level access showering solution can fall foul of user error. That is why specifying a Bluetooth® enabled electric shower, such as AKW’s SmartCare® Plus and Lever versions, with a digital pump that has an anti-flood shut off feature, provides extra safety. Additionally, adding an auxiliary pump switch ensures excess water drainage is managed at the press of a button, and specifying a top access waste reduces future maintenance and blockage issues.
A successful level access installation starts with the specification of the right products. If you are reluctant to specify a wet room upstairs on a timber floor or want to understand the latest products available for a successful adaptation, why not download the free guide at https://www.akw-ltd.co.uk/document/akw-guide-to-leak-resistant-wet-rooms/?
For more information contact AKW on 01905 823298, Email: sales@akw-ltd.co.uk or visit www.akw-ltd.co.uk