Customisable shower commode enhances daily care

Many carers feel as though they need the arms of an octopus to help shower clients at times.

The task can be particularly difficult if you have a shower commode that doesn’t meet the individual needs of the user. Dunedin’s Karen Menzies and her main carer Carina Stewart, Team Leader of McGlynn Bay View care home, recently discovered how much easier this routine task can be with the right equipment.

Long-time resident Karen, who suffers from cerebral palsy, was recently provided with a new RAZ attendant-propelled shower commode for showering and toileting.

“Karen’s lived in her care home for over 20 years, and I imagine she’s had her old shower commode for that entire time,” Carina explains.

“With her health declining, it didn’t give her any support at all. She was leaning over to the side, quite far. The back of the chair wasn’t very high, so she wasn’t getting the support she needed.

"Her new RAZ shower commode has been custom built and designed specifically to meet her needs which is a huge advantage. It has got laterals that help support her in an upright and optimal position. The backrest is higher, and you can tilt it or recline it which makes it so much easier to wash Karen’s back and even her hair. I’m quite short so trying to lean Karen forward and hold her with one arm, and then trying to wash her back and use the shower hose with the other arm, was quite hard!”

The ability to recline the commode with Karen remaining upright has also made other daily tasks much easier.

“It’s better for dressing her as well because you’re not trying to pull her forward. With the chair reclined back, she’s still sitting in a good position so you can pull her clothes down to her waist.”

Karen’s feet also touch the footplates in her new shower commode, providing her with more support and stability. "It has been an amazing solution and I wish we’d had it sooner."