Bathrooms are places where most accidents take place in the home. They become more so for the elderly and ageing who have become frail and disabled. Yet they need to use the bathroom for a number of functions, including bathing. If an elderly person is being accommodated and cared for at home, it becomes necessary to bring in certain equipment that will make it easy to help care for them.

Elderly persons who have a problem balancing themselves, will need equipment that willl make the bathroom a safer place for them. One of the problems they will encounter is using the standard shower and tub to bathe. Transfer benches are thus ideal to use for the elderly to make bathing them easier. They are especially helpful for persons who have a problem getting into and out of the tub. The bench extends over the edge of the tub and is placed with two legs in the tub and two outside. The user then sits on the outside and slides into the tub while remaining seated on the bench.

Transfer benches are available as standard products, but it is always better to check out a range to see which one is most suitable for the user. These benches may have additional features, for example, you will need to consider whether your patient requires deeper seating or additional weight bearing capacity for overweight users. Some transfer benches add features like backrest and arm rail support. They also make contoured seats and back rests. Height is adjustable and you may also need to check out the ones which offer 6 legs for additional stability.

Transfer benches also come with backrests that are reversible making them more convenient to use. Some are just molded plastic, while others have the added feature of being padded.

Do shop around and consult a healthcare provider if possible, to find the best option for your patient. Do not just go out and spend on the standard variety available, if your patient needs extra features.

Shehzad Khan has been a writer for http://www.bathroomsafety.co.uk for a while now