The shower stretcher is ideal for patients who have low mobility. It can be used for people who might have a problem of sitting upright without any help in fact they are an alternative to the shower chair. Caregivers are able to carry out personal hygiene task for the patients easily with the help of a shower stretcher. The user is made to lie down comfortably so that they can be washed without any difficulty. The Shower stretcher can also be used as a changing table.
Actually these take up less space because it can be attached to the wall and fold it away when not in use. Make sure that you consider the following things before purchasing a shower stretcher.
What you need to keep in mind while purchasing a shower stretcher
The first thing that you need to consider is the mobility of your patient. If the user can move about while they are being showered you need to purchase a stretcher which has railing so that it can help prevent the user from sliding off.
You might also need to consider whether the person can transfer themselves independently from their bed to the stretcher. For this reason it is necessary to buy a stretcher which has an adjustable height. When the user is on the stretcher it might need to be reset till the height of the care givers waist. This will prevent back injuries during work.
The height adjustment can be either battery operated or hydraulic. However it should be kept in mind that battery operated stretchers are expensive and they also cost a great deal more for servicing and can develop fault in the long run. It is necessary that the shower stretchers should be service every 12 months in a domestic environment and every 6 months in medical environment.
It is also necessary to understand the different mechanisms which are used in free standing showers stretchers. So before you make a purchase it is important that you visit the shop in person and see how different showers stretchers are operated.
A wall mounted shower stretcher can be adjusted in height and can even be set up to a non adjustable height. There are several benefits of a wall mounted stretcher because it can be folded back easily into the wall and take less space. On the other hand there is also certain draw back associated with these kind of stretchers because they offer a limited protection because these do not have reals or padding around them. The stretchers are not suitable for users who are most likely to move while being showered and can even get trapped between the stretcher and the wall.
On the other hand of free standing shower structure may take up a lot of space but they can be position in such a way that it allows the user to access from both the sides. These are also secure because they come with rails and bumpers on all side.
There are many types of mobile shower trolleys available to cater to the requirements and considerations listed above. Make sure that you consider all of these things when buying a shower stretcher.
