How to ensure the implementation of sanitary needs for people with disabilities? A chair with a special seat greatly facilitates the life of people with disabilities.
It is rational to use the toilet for the disabled in cases where the patient does not have the opportunity to sit on the toilet on his own. An indispensable tool in the absence of a guardian or a nurse, weakening of the user's hands, in cases where a person is completely confined to bed or a wheelchair.
Disability Toilet Requirements
Depending on the condition of a person with disabilities, the following devices can be selected to meet sanitary needs:
- Folding products with folding handrails - the presence of such functionality simplifies the procedure for moving a disabled person from an armchair or bed to a special seat.
- Designs with telescopic legs - open the possibility for changing the height and position of the chair. The specified feature also affects the usability of the device.
- Armchairs on wheels - this feature allows you to get rid of unnecessary inconvenience if you need to move the structure to the toilet. Such a stroller for a disabled person with a toilet makes it possible to transport the patient, has locking devices for fixing the wheels.
Maximum load
The weight of a person with disabilities is the primary factor on which to focus attention when choosing a toilet for the disabled. Depending on the specified criterion, specialized devices for this purpose are divided into the following categories:
- Traditional toilet chairs for the disabled - withstand a load of up to 120 kg on average.
- Devices with a high-strength, reinforced frame - suitable for overweight people. Designed for users weighing up to 180 kg or more.
If the person’s weight is as close as possible to the limit of the permissible load for which the toilet seat for the disabled is designed, in this case it is better to give preference to a more expensive, but at the same time reliable device with a reinforced frame. Otherwise, the probability of deformation of the structure during operation and, as a result, the risk of injury to the user are increased.
Seat height
When choosing a toilet for the disabled, you should pay attention to the possibility of changing the height of the seat. Only in this case, the daily operation of the device will not cause discomfort to the user.
It is worth noting that with an optimally adjusted height, the legs of a person sitting on a stand should be bent at the knees at a right angle, the hips should be parallel to the floor, and the feet should be completely on the surface. Performing hygiene procedures in this particular position helps to maintain the stability of the structure.
If the seat is too high for the user, his hips will be above the knees and his feet will not be able to reach the floor. In cases where the body support is set too low, the knees will be located above the hips. When choosing both positions, it will be difficult for a person with disabilities to maintain the right balance between parts of the body in space.
When purchasing a toilet for the disabled, it’s simple enough to determine the optimal seat height. To begin with, you should measure the distance from the hips to the user's feet in a sitting position. The calculated value should correspond to the distance from the upper level of the fixture's seat to the floor.
Armrests
The complete set of a toilet seat with armrests greatly facilitates the user the procedure for moving to the seat and returning to bed. Considering the need for such functionality, it is necessary to take into account the physical condition of a person with disabilities. If the disabled person is paralyzed, and his care is completely laid on the nurse, in this case it is absolutely not necessary to purchase a chair with armrests.
Seat size and shape
The bulk of the seats, which are provided for in the design of toilet chairs for the disabled, have a solid round rim. This option simultaneously plays the role of support for the body and the toilet slot. However, such decisions cause a lot of complaints among male users. Therefore, in the latter case, a horseshoe-shaped slot is a more convenient option.
When choosing a toilet chair, it is important to ensure that the seat size is optimal for the future user. If a person with disabilities has weight loss or low muscle tone in his legs, the body is likely to slip into the opening. When the slot is too small, hygienic problems are possible during the operation of the structure, which will cause a person constant stress and embarrassment, up to and including refusing to use the device.
Selection tips
Before acquiring an adaptation of a plan, it is worth deciding on the features of its subsequent operation:
- The best option for an elderly person with disabilities is a bedside toilet for the disabled.
- If the future user is able to control the upper body, the best solution may be a design with folding armrests.
- For a person who is able to independently get to the restroom, it is recommended to purchase a device in the form of a support frame with a seat that slides on the toilet.
- The toilet for children with disabilities may look like a regular armchair with built-in sanitary equipment.
Issue price
How much does a toilet cost for disabled people? The price of ordinary frames with a seat that is approaching the toilet starts in the market from about 3,000 rubles. The cost of adjustable structures made of reliable alloys, with additional equipment in the form of all kinds of armrests, headrests, wheels, etc. reaches about 6,500 rubles or more.
How to prepare a toilet chair for operation?
When preparing the device for use, it must be installed on a solid, level surface. Next, you should adjust the seat according to the height convenient for the user, if there is an option to install armrests and a headrest on it.
Before moving a person with disabilities to the seat, it is worth locking the wheels or locking the legs. It is recommended to pour a small amount of water into a removable container for emptying, which will facilitate its subsequent cleaning.
Having transplanted the patient into a chair, it is necessary to make sure that his body is in an anatomically calibrated, comfortable and stable position. At the end of hygiene procedures, pour the contents of the vessel into the toilet, and then thoroughly clean the structural elements of the chair-toilet, using a detergent with an antibacterial effect.
Finally
When choosing a wheelchair-toilet, priority attention should be focused on the level of comfort of the device for the user and the convenience of transporting the structure during operation. As practice shows, the use of the device is greatly facilitated by the folding frame. In turn, the comfort for the user is affected by the presence of armrests, an ergonomic seat with a soft coating, suitable in size and shape according to the dimensions of the human body.
Previously, you should be puzzled by the question of cleaning the product to perform hygiene procedures. If the task will be assigned directly to the disabled person, it is recommended that you consider buying a chair with an integrated dry closet. This decision will avoid the need for regular emptying of the vessel.