Bathing/Toileting
Portable Over-Toilet Seat
The logistics of travelling often prevents people with disabilities being able to experience travel to its fullest extent. The client, a young child, has cerebral palsy and must be assisted whilst toileting and uses an over-toilet chair at home. Whilst collapsible seats are available commercially, all these had seats that were too large for the client. The solution needed to be lightweight, compact, and easy to assemble. It also needed to provide back support and be versatile enough to fit on a variety of toilets. An existing postural supporter, was modified to achieve all these requirements successfully. Ref T7-361
Bath Frame
A spinal cord injury meant that our client needed to lay prone whilst showering. The rental property meant the bath frame had to be designed so that it could be fitted and removed without damaging or permanently altering any bathroom fixtures and remain accessible to all family members. The solution was a freestanding rectangular frame that rests temporarily on top of the bath. The frame consists of a strong, waterproof mesh insert sewn onto a stainless steel tubing outer frame. Ref T7-548
Shower Bench
Our client has a spinal cord injury and requires a transfer bench to assist him with washing and toileting. However, the commercially-produced bench that he required was not strong enough to hold his weight, and the model that was strong enough did not have all the features to cater for his specific needs. Our volunteer built the new seat using plywood for strength, and covered it with polythene film to provide a moisture-proof barrier. A commercial manufacturer then added padding and upholstery to the wooden seat. Ref T7-516
Baby Bath Stand
A young mother required help to bath her baby. As she requires a walking frame to move around the home, she was unable carry her standard portable baby bath safely. TADVIC made a portable aluminium frame for the baby bath that enables the mother to bath her baby in her modified wheelchair accessible bathroom. The frame is on castor wheels so that it can be easily rolled into position and is high enough to be easily pushed. There is also enough clearance underneath the bath to allow the mother to access it from a shower chair in the bathroom. Ref T7-327
Adjustments to Shower Chair
A woman with paraplegia had purchased a folding shower chair but the arms prevented her from transferring sideways and the seat was unsuitable. The shower chair was modified by removing a combination leg and arm on the left side of the chair and replacing them with a new leg to allow for sliding to and from wheelchair. A more supportive contoured plastic seat shell with padding was also fitted. The seat shell is removable with a quick release mechanism with locating luggs and locking devices. Ref: 99/554
Gliding Over-Bath Seat
The client has limited use of her lower limbs and requires assistance bathing. She uses a swivelling bath seat that sits over the top of the bath. Her carer was unable to use a hoist for transfers as the hoist base was unable to slide under the seat. TADVIC constructed a metal frame that fits over the bath and far enough past it to enable the hoist base to slide underneath. The other end of the frame fits up against the bathroom wall, where additional metal framework with rubber stoppers secures it in place. The seat is removable and when the frame is not required it is lifted out of the bath and stored. No modifications were made to the bathroom itself. Ref T7-115
Secure Toilet Seat
A woman with quadriplegia was having difficulty transferring from her wheelchair onto the toilet. The toilet seat was not held securely in place so would slide to one side when she attempted a transfer. A piece of plywood was used as a brace between the back of the toilet seat and the wall. This was bolted to the pan using existing holes and to the wall using brackets. Additional bracing during the initial pressure of movement during the transfer was provided by two small brackets which are fitted to one side of the seat and protrude over the edge of the pan. The ply was bedded in silicone to provide a waterproof and hygienic seal and the brackets were covered with plastic tubing. Ref T0/144
Toilet Flushing Aid
An elderly woman has weak upper limbs and poor reach preventing her from reaching the button to flush the toilet. A see-saw system of levers was constructed allowing the client to push the cistern button with little effort. A sheet metal bearing was fixed to the top of the cistern button with an aluminium lever pivoting on it. A second lever pivots at one end on a handrail. The other end of this lever is directly below the end of the first lever and they are connected by a piece of picture wire. The free end of the first lever is connected to a screw on the floor by picture wire. The client can depress the cistern button by pushing down on the second lever. Ref T0/152
Folding Shower Chair
A woman with paraplegia could not find a portable shower chair that would fold up into a bag when she went travelling. She required the seat to be the same height as the wheelchair seat. An existing aluminium and nylon director's chair was modified in several ways. Aluminium tubing was fitted to the feet of the chair to increase the height by about 9cm. New white rubbers were attached to the feet to protect the shower floor. The most important part of the design was the addition of two extra chair legs to prevent it tipping backwards.These then pivot around to the front of the chair for folding and transport. These extra legs were sealed with rubber in order to prevent water from seeping in. Ref T1/081
Portable Stand for Bath Chair
A family, who do a lot of travelling required some modifications to the stand for the bath chair used by their young daughter. The stand needed to be at adult standing, lightweight, on castors, and easily dismantled. The frame was cut on each side so it could be dismantled and reassembled using stainless steel connectors. The stand was now far more compact for travel. Ref T1/008
Change Table
A young girl was washed by carers in a spa bath. A ceiling hoist is used to lift her out of her wheelchair and into the bath, however there was no suitable place to undress her, dry her or dress her. A mesh bath frame was purchased for use as a change table. The frame was mounted with hinges on the wall so that it rests on the bath edge when in use and folds flat against the wall when not in use. The frame has one hinged supporting leg and a rubber foot that sits securely on the bath. The girl's wheelchair sits under one end of the frame. Being light, the frame can be lifted quickly and easily while she is suspended in the hoist, before she is lowered into her wheelchair. Ref 99/011
