What kind of bath does a care home need?
Care homes deliver different levels of assistance to the elderly, infirm, and disabled. As far as possible, they try to retain the independence of their residents. Specially designed baths are often used to make this task more manageable for staff and patients. We look at why this need exists, the types of baths available, and the benefits they provide.
Reasons why care homes need special baths
Statistics in 2021 revealed that 23% of healthcare facilities, versus 13% in other industries, experience problems in staffing their vacancies. Covid has exacerbated this trend. Shortages add an extra burden to the challenges of those in employment. This affects the degree of assistance that care homes can offer to residents. The bathing process is often rushed or not undertaken as frequently as it should be. Additionally, hospitals are forced to keep patients past their discharge date due to a lack of home care facilities with enough staff to cope with this influx.
Employees are suffering from an increasing incidence of burnout. Whereas in the past care home staff could work in groups of two or three to bathe patients, the lack of sufficient carers has resulted in many having to undertake this task alone. This leads to a high proportion of staff experiencing back pain and injury. Many carers are leaving the workplace to escape the demands of the job.
While employees in other jobs benefitted by being able to work from home because of covid, care staff have remained at the coal face with long shifts and inadequate breaks. The industry was plagued by greater physical and mental health issues than other types of business. Of all the problems carers are exposed to, half of these conditions include musculoskeletal problems, anxiety, depression, and stress.
In many care homes, floor surfaces are often uneven and slippery, with insufficient railing and lighting for those with weak eyesight, making falls more common. Assisted baths and specially adapted equipment can reduce these risks and some of the pressure of heavy lifting by carers, allow for smaller teams, shorten bath times for residents, and make self-care possible for many more.
Carers have also noticed an improvement in well-being, mobility, sleep quality, and pain reduction in residents who can soak in a warm bath instead of taking a shower.
Types of baths
Some of the issues of traditional care bathrooms have been overcome by the new generation of assisted baths and equipment. For example, antimicrobial tiling grout limits 99% of infections being passed on to other residents and staff. Anti-slip flooring reduces falls. Hoists and transfer chairs protect carers from back injury through manual lifting.
Special baths are designed with adjustable height mechanisms as well as to address the sensory sensitivity of dementia patients, making them more amenable to bath time. Bath lifts raise and lower the patient into and out of the bath. They can be powered by mains or electricity, while others are hydraulic or inflatable. The former is the most common kind.
A costlier option is a walk-in bath. The patient can access it with help or unaided. It has a door and a seat for the person to sit on therefore having a shorter, deeper design than a normal bath. Taps are controlled by a thermostat for the perfect temperature and to ensure safety.
An easy-access bath comes in many forms. NHC Group focuses on the needs of care homes with a selection of quality showers and baths for assisted care. They also stock accessories for use with an easy-access bath.
Some models consist of a three-in-one system including a bath, shower facilities, and a changing table. Others have a hi-lo feature that can be adjusted to the ideal height for the carer to work from without back strain.
Benefits of easy access baths
Easy-access baths can provide better dignity for patients and the ability to take on most or all of the bathing process, depending on the level of assisted living they require. Attention has been paid to the designs of easy-access baths to protect the privacy of the resident.
Surfaces are coated with agents to prevent cross-infection. This improves the health of carers and residents.
Staff report fewer back problems and injuries as easy-access baths are made with both carer and patient in mind. Disabled patients, such as stroke victims, are easily moved in and out of the bath. Over time, as they recover, these new types of baths make it possible for them to take back many aspects of their own care and management in stages. Bath chairs can be operated by the carer or the patient.
These products all comply with safety regulations and standards. They also resolve many of the previous issues associated with bathing patients.
An easy-access bath has become a necessity for in-home care, with proven benefits and features that make the bathing of residents simpler, faster, and safer.
