If you have a narrow tub, you’ll need to be extra careful about the chair’s size. If the chair is too large, the legs will not sit firmly on the floor, making the chair wobble when used. A wobbly chair can be unsettling, especially for those with dementia, and is also a safety issue.
Before You Buy
Get out your measuring tape and measure the flat part of the bottom of the tub floor and compare that to the bath chair’s leg width measurement, usually referred to as the “base” measurement; the chair’s legs must sit on the flat part of the tub floor.
Things to Try
1. Use the smallest bath chair you can find, as long as it’s a good fit for your care receiver.
2. Use a small bath stool if the person can sit upright. The person, however, may find back support more comfortable.
3. Use a transfer bench. As part of the bench is outside the tub, it can be used with many small tubs. In a small bathroom you may need to store the transfer bench lengthwise in the tub after each use to avoid its becoming a tripping hazard.
4. Use a tub-mounted chair. If your bathtub rim is flat (not rounded), two chair legs can sit on the tub floor and the other end of the chair can be mounted on the tub rim. If your bathtub has a rounded rim, you may want to consider replacing it with a flat rimmed tub so you can use a tub-mounted swivel chair.
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