Product Listing - Narrow Wheel Chair/Shower Chair

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Product Listing – Narrow Wheel Chair/Shower Chair

Tub Slide Shower Chair

	MANUFACTURER
	RD Equipment
	COST
	$3,000 EXTRA COST Locking casters and commode pail
	VENDORS
	RD Equipment
	DISCLAIMER
	The listing of these products is for informational purposes and individuals must use their own caution and judgment when using these resources. Functional levels and changes in judgment and reasoning are highly variable in people with dementia. Interventions must be individualized and continually assessed because those that are effective for some individuals may only work briefly and may not work at all for others.

	DESCRIPTION
	Getting a person into the bathroom for a shower or bath can be daunting if the person uses a wheelchair and the doorways are narrow. If your situation is temporary, or it's simply not possible to change the doorway width, you may be able to use a special type of wheelchair that will fit through narrow bathroom doorways. This combo wheelchair/sliding tub chair allows you to wheel the person from the bedroom into the bathroom and, using the tub mounted sliding track, slide the wheelchair seat into the tub so that the chair becomes a "shower chair".
	WHAT WE LIKE
	Can make a bathroom accessible without renovation Can fit through narrow doorways (chair is 21.5 inches) Padded seat and back for comfort Retractable footrest
	POTENTIAL CONCERNS
	Expensive (but significantly less than a bathroom renovation) May takes some fiddling to get the chair to slide on the track Chair must be attached securely to the sliding track each time you use it If others use the shower, you'll need to move and store the sliding track on a regular basis
	CAUTION
	Be careful when lifting the person's legs so you clear the tub wall; otherwise you will bump the person's foot on the wall, which can be jarring. To reduce agitation, tell the person what is going to happen each step of the way, so they’re not taken by surprise. Though the seat slides, it still requires considerable caregiver strength to move it with a person sitting on, especially it if the person cannot help. See our section on Transferring to learn proper techniques to avoid injuring yourself. Chair must be attached securely to the sliding track each time you use it.
	This product has not been tested by Thiscaringhome.org.

Product Selection Criteria

Our goal is to teach you how to be a good consumer and to help you learn about specific products and unique product features that may enhance your safety and the safety and function of the person with dementia. The products shown in This Caring Home serve as examples only. Manufacturers continually change product specifications and the products represented may be different from those now on the market.

We realize this is not an all-inclusive list. Products featured in This Caring Home were chosen for one or more of the following reasons:

Affordability
Attractiveness
Availability
Color selection
Ease of use
Quality
Safety

We encourage you to discuss product selection with other caregivers and health care professionals.

How We Tested

"ThisCaringHome.org tested many products that are commonly recommended for best practices to identify the best use of these products and any potential problems in their use by caregivers and individuals with dementia. Each product included in an Expert Review was tested in a home environment, either an apartment or a single family home (or both), by at least two people. Rosemary Bakker, interior designer, gerontologist and dementia specialist, was one of the testers for every product. Whenever possible, we tested the product over time, sometimes days, weeks, or months, for:

Ease of use
Reliability
Potential safety issues

As a result of our testing, we're listing the pros and cons for using these products and including safety precautions for various products. These products were not tested by persons with dementia. We hope in the future to do case studies to learn more about what works and what doesn't work in a larger variety of caregiving situations and home environments."

Products listed on our website but not tested by ThisCaringHome.org are referred to as "Product Listings".

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