There are a lot of products available on the market to help people who find it difficult to get in and out of the bathtub without help.

If unsteady on your feet but you still enjoy having a shower it is possible to buy a stool that will either sit in your walk-in shower or in the bathtub so you can shower whilst sitting. Japanese people have been bathing like this for centuries in more or less the same way as they sit on a stool that is usually positioned near a drain and wash themselves all over and then rinse with a jug or bowl of clean water. Having a shower in the same way whilst sat down is pretty much like bathing Japanese style as you could even turn off the flow of water whilst you are applying to soap to yourself and then turn it back on to rinse yourself.

Handles on bathtubs are also an excellent idea for people who struggle to hoist themselves up out of the bath. We all know the sides can be slippery when trying to ascend out of the tub so someone who struggles with this anyway will find the convenience of handles to grasp to pull themselves out invaluable.

From longer pull-cords to having an emergency alarm in your bathroom there is no end to the innovative products available on the market today to allow people who have a disability to enjoy a bath without the indignity of others having to help them in and out of the tub or to even wash them. We all like doing things for ourselves and people who are elderly are no different than we are and the inconvenience of having to wait for people to come and help you can be an upsetting experience as you are more adhering to their timetable than your own.

A lot of the problems with these innovative products however, are the expense that they incur. More often costing in the regions of thousands of pounds most people are unable to afford them. There are grants which can be gained that either pay for the cost of the product or pay a set amount towards it. However, a lot of people might say that you cannot put a price on independence.

When choosing a product ensure you are able to test it first in the showroom as paying a huge sum of money for it and then finding it is not right for you once it is fitted will cause you a lot of upset in the long-run.

If having a pull-cord alarm fitted then ensure it is within easy reach when you are in the bathtub and ensure that you bathe at the opposite side of where the taps are fitted so that if you should fall you will not knock your head on the faucet. For safety purposes ensure you also have a non-slip bathroom mat so that when you step out of the tub you cannot slip and bang your head.

Most importantly enjoy your bath!