Today more and more elderly people especially are choosing to live in their own homes for as long as they can before disability forces them into a home. And local authorities also recognise the personal benefits for those who adopt this approach, as well as to the authorised budgets. As a result there can often be grants available. Don’t understand this bit about budgets?

Local authority occupational therapists advise those living at home and can supply a wide range of aids and equipment to help them to continue to live in their homes and local authorities also provide a caring service to carry out tasks disabled people are unable to perform for themselves.

But of course the requirements for living at home are many and varied, from chair lifts to transfer the disabled into a bath or shower, to walking frames, bed sides etc.. - the list is virtually endless.

A particularly beneficial facility for the less able is a shower toilet – a sophisticated combined WC, bidet and dryer with built in air purifier. It provides the perfect solution to the toiletry needs of disabled or elderly people who are unable to use a conventional toilet without assistance.

Although shower toilets are to be found in many care homes throughout the country, where they are considered a superb facility, even an essential, this does not mean that they have to look ‘institutional’ and to prove the point Geberit has styled its shower toilet to look perfectly at home in the domestic bathroom believing that there is no need to compromise on design because the product is for functional application and building all the necessary features into an attractive unit.

A key to the users independence from assistance is the remote controlled system which can be operated by the user himself or herself. On contact with the seat, the user activates the built in air purifier, which extracts air from the toilet and directs it through an active carbon filter. When the user is ready, the shower function can either be activated by a button located on the side of the toilet or by remote control, depending on the needs of the user. When the button is pushed, the spray arm is released from its protective sleeve and ejects a spray of comfortable, body temperature water for as long as the button is pressed. After the button is released, the arm is rinsed and retracts into its protective sleeve. The showering action is automatically followed by a gentle flow of warm drying air, the temperature of which can be adjusted to suit individual preferences. The dryer is switched off when the user leaves the toilet. The unit can even be operated to run a preset sequence automatically so even a user with no manual ability can still use the toilet.

The shower toilet is floor standing and is extremely robust with very strong seat and fixings, all tested to withstand a 64 stone (400 kilos) load.

To accompany the shower toilet, Geberit has also introduced an additional disabled frame unit within their Duofix range, which is especially designed to support wall hung sanitaryware. It is strengthened to hold a long projection pan, has height adjustability for the pan and is narrow to allow the fitting of grab rails. It can be used in conjunction with other disabled aids to provide an installation designed specifically for the individual nature of the users disabilities.

Toiletry habits and cleanliness are basic functions and requirements but a person unable to manage these alone is at risk of losing their dignity leading to embarrassment and low self esteem. The shower toilet helps to overcome these problems and also ensures increased cleanliness allowing carers to spend precious extra moments carrying out other tasks.

Living at home is undoubtedly the preferred option for the majority of those who are able to do so and specialist products such as the Geberit Shower Toilet can be of immense assistance in helping people to live within their own homes and to providing the care and comfort required.

The future for the elderly and disabled lies in improving domestic facilities and we will undoubtedly see further advances in shower toilets, alongside other disabled aids, playing an increasing role in assisting ‘live at home’ solutions.

And of course a shower toilet is not purely designed for the disabled. In other parts of the world, especially in Asian countries, it is seen as a luxury product to provide a complete toileting experience and a luxury product which is much in demand.