Imagine not being able to enjoy the immersive experience of bubbles in the bath, relaxing in warm water.
For a group of young adults with learning disabilities and neurological impairments that pleasure is now a reality, tailored to their individual needs.
It’s the result of determination by their Occupational Therapists at the Royal Hospital for Neuro Disability to find a suitable way to enhance their sensory experiences.
The residential ward at the Hospital has a specialist bath with sensory lighting and bubble jets. The very limited functional ability of many of the ward’s 12 residents meant they were unable to benefit from the bath.
Many of the ward residents had not been in a bath since early childhood. Their complex postural needs and behaviours posed significant difficulty in supporting them safely in the water. Their care teams had to ensure they did not slip, slide or injure themselves on the hard sides.
At a Kidz to Adultz exhibition, the OTs saw AAT’s Aqua Liberty infinitely adjustable bath support system, arranged a trial- and now have the answer!
Aqua Liberty is the first supported bath seat that fits any user and any bath. It comprises AAT’s innovative variable vacuum posture cushions secured to a base. The base features adhesive cups for quick and easy attachment to and removal from the bath itself. This means the seat system does not slip or slide.
The bath seat cushion is precisely moulded to each user, holding its shape without pressure points to support them correctly and appropriately in the water, and adjusted if required by the OT team.
Optional lateral panel to provide side cushioning are also available.
Senior II Occupational Therapist Continuing Care Service @ the Hospital, Ginnie Garlick says:
“Being shaped around them, Aqua Liberty is supportive and comfortable.
"We’ve had great success with it, and, with new residents onto the ward, have repeat ordered.
“The ability to access the bath, experience being immersed in warm water and interacting with the bubbles has greatly enhanced the quality of life of our residents. It offers them a lovely sensory experience.”
You can find out more about the Aqua Liberty infinitely variable bathing system here:https://www.aatgb.com/aqua-liberty/.
And if you want to know how other users have found Aqua Liberty, click here!
Aqua Liberty is only one of our bathing support options. You can find out about others here:https://www.aatgb.com/bagel/
According to leading mental health charity Mind, spending time in green spaces including your local parks can improve your mood, reduce feelings of stress or anger, improve self-esteem, reduce loneliness, and help you feel more relaxed.
People with physical disabilities eg mobility issues are more likely to experience mental health issues, reports show.
Access to and from a garden or making a garden safe for a disabled resident falls under the scope of home adaptations; indeed, such alterations and modifications can be funded under the Disabled Facilities Grant.
Our innovative S-Max Sella stairclimber provides a fast, effective way to provide access to outside space where steps are otherwise a barrier.
S-Max Sella is battery-powered and completely portable, unlike the conventional alternative equipment to address steps and stairs which is fixed in place.
As a result, you have a fast and effective way to access the garden- and the wider community, where steps are a barrier.
The Class 1 Medical Device certified, our equipment can propel you or your loved one up, down 300 steps from a single charge.
And it carries onward from the staircase or steps, without you needing to get off. It works inside or out, and at whatever pace you feel comfortable with.
S-Max Sella automatically adjusts to variation in riser height. It gently brakes on the edge of each riser to enable a smooth transition between levels.
“We all know how much better we feel from getting outside, feeling the sun on our faces,” says Peter Wingrave AAT Director.
“More homes than we appreciate have steps either to or within the garden, or out to the street. If your mobility is impaired, that’s enough to make you trapped indoors. Our stairclimber gives you freedom to get out and about and reap the benefits to your mental health of outside space.”
We offer a comprehensive support service, including free no obligation assessment, setting up of the S-Max, training of its users, plus ongoing service & maintenance.
Full details including videos of the Sella stairclimber can be found @ https://www.aatgb.com/s-max-sella/
