Need an Accessible Bathroom at Home Right Now?
Older woman holding her hands on her lap of a gingham dress.
True Story:
Sandra (*name changed) was visiting with her family when she tripped over her dog’s bed in the living room and landed smack dab on the floor. Sandra’s son, Dale, helped her get up and quickly took her to the hospital to check out her injuries.
Lo and behold, Sandra broke her leg and needed surgery and rehabilitation.
In rehab, Sandra felt better and got back on her feet. She used a walker to help her balance while getting around.
Before she left rehab to return home, Sandra realized something dreadful: she could not climb the two full flights of stairs to her bedroom and bathroom on the second floor. Her leg ached at the thought of it!
Staircase in a white home.
This meant that Sandra could not sleep in her own bed or use her own bathroom! And she didn’t have another option to use a bedroom or full bathroom on the main floor.
“What am I going to do now? Wish myself up the stairs?” Sandra bemoaned.
Sandra figured she could sleep on the fold-out couch in her living room. But the bathroom was a whole other problem! She couldn’t exactly make a toilet or shower appear or afford to remodel!
Sandra wanted to go home as soon as possible. The rehab center wasn’t exactly a stay in a luxury hotel. The bed mattress and flat pillow were uncomfortable. The nurses took forever to give medicine.
Not to mention, the food was tasteless and cold every single meal. Sandra needed to figure out how to solve her bathroom problem!
Sadly, Sandra’s situation is incredibly common. I’d say a majority of patients I’ve worked with are in this exact predicament.
There are one too many households set up where the main floor has NO bedroom and maybe a half bath. When tragedy strikes, the options are severely limited.
People Need to be at Home
It’s so important for every single person to get back home from the hospital or rehab as quickly as possible to help with recovery. No offense to hospitals or rehab facilities, but they suck as far as allowing people ample time to rest. You have health care professionals coming into your room at all hours of the day and night.
It’s a mess!
If only Sandra had an accessible full bathroom on the main floor of her home . . .
Oh, wait! My friends, there IS an option! I came across an amazing, affordable way to add an accessible bathroom on the main floor of your home. But it’s only available to people who live in the United Kingdom. (Sorry, fellow Americans.)
Ready? I present to you, the WashPod!
The WashPod
WashPod, the accessible bathroom in your home!
How It Works
The WashPod is a fully plumbed room inside a box that has an accessible toilet, sink, and shower inside.
You can have it set up inside a room in your home in as little as a day. Or you could have the WashPod with internal heating set up outside of your home in two to three days.
WashPod outside the home.
For some people, renting a WashPod may be the very thing they need to skip time in rehab.
If you can bathe and toilet in an accessible room at home, have your therapists and nurses come to your house during your recovery! The WashPod gives you independence in caring for yourself regardless of your state of health.
Do you need lift equipment to shower or toilet? Not a problem! WashPod provides lifts for you and your caregiver to use.
UK residents can rent or purchase WashPods. This isa great option for consumers when comparing the cost of retrofitting a current home with an accessible bathroom.
WashPod with barrier free shower, toilet, u-shaped grab bars, and grab bar.
WashPod with sink that allows people to comfortably place legs underneath while sitting.
Man installing WashPod.
Tiny Bathroom
You may play devil’s advocate with me and say, “Well, I do have a half bathroom on the main floor, so I’m good.”
Think again!
If you do have a half bathroom on your main floor, go measure the door frame right now. How wide is it?Probably not 32-36 inches!
Can you use a walker through the door? A wheelchair? Can you move around with a walker or wheelchair inside the bathroom?
No?
That’s what I thought!
Let me tell you, zero bathrooms on the main floor isn’t the only obstacle to returning home from rehab. Having a bathroom that you can actually maneuver around in is rare too!
Dignity and Comfort
So to have a WashPod that lets you toilet or shower with enough room is an amazing thing when you want to be at home instead of dealing with Nurse Ratched in rehab.
Sandra’s problem is solved! She can use the WashPod in the comfort of her own home!
Some of you readers might be thinking, “Well, Sandra could use a bedside commode and configure some sort of hula hoop and kiddie pool situation to shower.”
Yes, absolutely, that’s an option. But where’s the dignity in that? Pooping in a commode in the middle of the living room isn’t my idea of living my best life. I’d rather have a bathroom with the sole purpose of letting me poop or shower in peace without spectators!
Conclusion
The WashPod is a great, reasonable, and affordable option for a lot of people. I’d pick the WashPod over a bedside commode any day of the week!
Why? Because it gives you the chance to heal and rest better in the comfort of your own home. You’re happier. You’re healthier. You’re looking on the sunny side of life as opposed to combating the constant interruptions of a hospital or rehab setting.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t find anything like the WashPod that’s available in the United States. I researched “prefabricated accessible bathrooms” and could only find them for commercial uses, like hotels and ball parks.
If you know of a company in the United States that’s renting or selling something like a WashPod for people’s homes, please let me know! Put it in the comments below to let other readers discover an option for them in case they experience something like Sandra.
(Psssssttt . . . Hey, did you know we have an awesome online course for people who have a hard time wiping after using the toilet? It’s an awkward topic that you can learn how to solve in the comfort and privacy of your own home! Learn more about the course HERE!)