Handicap Shower Stalls - A Look At Whats Out There

I think it is pretty clear that handicap shower stalls must be designed and built to accommodate disabled people of varying sizes and varying handicaps. It is a forgone conclusion that handicap shower stalls must have a seat or chair. I had a mother who was an invalid and if there had been no place to sit while in the shower, she would not have been able to wash herself. The house we lived in many years ago was built long before laws changed to accommodate the disabled. Every night I placed a kitchen chair in the bathroom and guided my mother into the shower stall – no, I didn’t undress her. For many years, that was the nightly ritual until she passed away in the early 90s. Nowadays, however handicap shower stalls are a common site and I sometimes wish they had being around 30 years earlier.

Companies like American Bath Enterprises, Inc have designed and marketed handicap shower stalls for many years and are considered leaders in the industry. The AB603072SA-WC is one of the company’s shower stalls that is a popular buy for many disabled people. The shower has a padded stainless steel folding seat, up to three stainless steel grab bars, a single-hand chrome plated mixing value, wheelchair access as well as a wheelchair ramp and a height adjustable shower head. This is just one of many handicap shower stalls that the company manufactures. All showers come with a five-year warranty.

Most showers for the disabled retail from around $4000 although there are cheaper units on the market. Prior to picking up the phone or clicking the purchase button on some handicap shower stalls website, make sure you’ve weigh the pros and cons of investing in one of these shower units. Is the disabled person permanently disabled or is it the result of a traffic accident and within a few months, he or she will be playing basketball again? Is the disable person able to walk and do doctors think it important for this person to be as independent as possible? The reason I mention this is because often doctors will encourage stroke sufferers to try and do everything themselves – a kind of rehabilitation. If, in the event, your home shower is too small and requires even healthy people to become contortionists, then perhaps updating your shower stall is the best move.

There are many companies who can supply and install handicap shower stalls in a matter of hours and according to the websites I have visited, installing doesn’t require reforming you bathroom completely.