Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Make Your Life Easy With A Walk In Bathtub


By Stephen Daniels

To those with limited mobility, standard showers and bathtubs can be difficult and unsafe to use. This can make the once simple task of bathing frustrating and complicated. Frequently, showers don't have the anti-slip protection and grab bars that are needed, or a seating area that can make the task easier. Walk in bathtubs, however, have all this and more, contributing to both safety and relaxation.

Handicap accessible bathtubs are a comfortable and easy-to-install alternative to traditional showers and provide all the safety features usual set-ups miss. Every year, manufacturers introduce handicap bathtubs that include height-adjustable, easy-to-use faucets and shower heads as well as strategically located grab bars. In other words, walk in tubs are all about your comfort and safety.

Showers that are handicap friendly generally have a very low threshold or are completely level with the floor, providing maximum accessibility. However, walk in tubs let you opt for either a shower or a nice soak in the tub without the worry of how you will get in and out of the bath. Soaking in warm water isn't a mere luxury - it can go a long way towards soothing aches and pains. Walk in baths often come with a shower head that can be either hand-held or wall mounted and can be set at the right height for your needs.

Today, there are a great number of different walk in bathtub models on the market. All of them feature an inward or outward opening door in the side of the tub. This makes the tub far safer and easier to step into than traditional baths. Outward opening doors are considered to be safer in some cases, as the door can be opened even when the tub is full in case of an emergency. However, most choose inward-opening doors. These are advantageous because they require less room, and they are "self sealing" due to the pressure of the water on them when the bath is full.

Excellent for either showering or bathing, "sit-in" tubs are generally the most popular models. They feature a chair-height seat that is easy to get in and out of. Other units feature powered seats that can lower and lift you safely and easily in and out of a traditional height bath. This allows you to enjoy full-length bathing without the worry of slipping and falling. While practically every model boasts anti-slip surfaces and convenient grab bars for added safety, many newer tubs also have hydrotherapy jet options. These jetted tubs have added therapeutic properties that can aid further in soothing aching joints and sore muscles.

Handicap accessible tubs come in several different sizes and types to meet your needs and lifestyle. Shorter models can be found for a variety of hard to fit places, including bathtubs that are specifically made to take up the same amount of space as a standard shower stall. Long tubs are more like traditional baths and give you more room to relax and enjoy your soak.

Since being inside the tub is a necessity both while it fills and empties, walk in tubs have special features. The most important of these is a thermostatic mixer, a regulator that makes sure all water comes out at the right temperature for your safety and comfort. More advanced units may have a quick filling option. It is also important that the tub drain quickly. Seniors could catch a chill from sitting for several minutes in cool water while waiting for the water to drain. To solve this problem, many tubs offer dual drain systems or even pumps that can drain the unit in under a minute.

Whether you mostly prefer showers with just the occasional bath, or you'd like to be able to soak in the tub every day, walk in bathtubs make your life easy by offering the ultimate in safety and in comfort.

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