Bath lifts for disabled people – Best disabled bath lift

Bath lifts for disabled people are becoming more popular in recent years. In the past they have been an expensive option and out of reach for many people who need one. However, more recently a wider range is available and on average they are significantly cheaper than in the past.

According to the NHS, slips and falls are the biggest cause of visits to Emergency Room in the elderly. The same is true for people of any age with mobility issues and a high percentage of these falls happen in the bathroom.

There are many causes for falls but entering and exiting the bathtub is one of the most common. Bath lifts for disabled and elderly people take away a lot of this risk involved. The most obvious way they do this, is by making access to the bath easier.

A disabled bath lift will lower you from the top of the bath into a bathing position. Following your bath, it will then raise you back to the top to safely exit the bathtub.

The starting and finishing position for a bath lift is usually level with the top of the bath, or in some instances slightly higher. Because of this entering and exiting is much easier.

If you are entering the bath, you can sit on the edge of the tub and shuffle back onto the lift. At this point you can rotate round and lift your legs over the edge of the bath. Similarly, when exiting the bath, you will again be positioned at the top of the bathtub. So, you will just need to rotate your legs over the edge and stand up from the lift. Some disabled bath lifts even have rotating chairs to make this process even easier.

The best bath lifts for disabled and elderly

As mentioned previously there are plenty of different bath lifts to choose from. Below we have listed a few of the more popular bath lifts for disabled people that can be purchased in the US.

The Drive Medical bath lift

The first option is a bath lift for disabled and elderly people made by Drive Medical. This is one of the most popular models currently available in the US.

The Drive Medical bath lift is lightweight and is easy to install in the bath. It is very simple to fold and unfold, so you can easily remove it from the bathtub between use if needs be. The chair fits into the bottom of the bathtub with suckers attached to the bottom which hold it securely in place.

Below are some of the main features of the Bellavita bath lift:

• Long life lithium batteries
• Lightweight handheld control for lowering and raising the chair. This is also completely waterproof and floats, so there is no risk of losing it whilst bathing.
• Good range of seat travel. This allows the seat to reach just 6cm off the bottom of your bath. It also has a maximum height of 18 inches, meaning it will work just as well in deep tubs
• The maximum weight capacity is also very good at 300lbs (140kg)
• Finally, it is extremely light weight which makes it very easy to remove and fold away for storage.

The Drive Medical bath lift is reasonably priced at roughly $450, and available on a payment plan for $90 at the time of this writing.

To learn more and read customer reviews click here.

Lumex Splash Bath Lift

Our second favourite bath lift for disabled people is the Lumex premium lift. This option is a little more expensive than our first option. However, it does have a few advantages. Firstly, it has a more modern design. Plus, it is a super lightweight option weighing only 14.3 pounds. This makes transferring it in and out of the bath even easier.

Below are some of the main features of the Lumex premium bath lift for disabled:

• Easy to use, lightweight, waterproof hand control
• Large side flaps for even easier transfer to and from the bath
• Sleek and modern design will make your bathroom look luxurious
• Non-recline seat is safer and less prone to malfunctions and accidents.

There is no doubt that the Lumex bath hoist for the disabled is a good option. However, keep in mind that the biggest difference is the ability to recline the chair. This chair would be our recommendation if you are looking for something modern and stylish that is practical.

To learn more and read customer reviews click here.

Mangar bathing cushion

Our final option is slightly different. This is a bathing cushion by a company called Mangar. It works by inflating and deflating, to lower and raise the use out of the bath.

The chair fits into the bottom of the bath and is inflated using a battery powered air compressor. The major advantage of this type of bath lift for disabled and elderly, is its light weight. Weighing in at only 4.5lbs it is extremely easy to take in and out of the bath. Also, once deflated it is very convenient to store.

Finally, despite its light weight it has a very impressive user weight capacity of up to 330lbs (150kg).

Below are some of the main features of the Mangar bathing cushion:

• Easy to use compressor allows you to quickly inflate and deflate the cushion for entering and exiting the bathtub.
• Air fill cushion adds extra comfort for a pleasant bathing experience.
• Unlike a standard bath lift the Mangar can fully deflate meaning you can lower right to the bottom of the bath.
• Inflates up to 40cm making access to the bath much easier.
• Impressive max weight capacity of 330 lbs (150kg).

This is a completely different option to the first two. Both different styles have their advantages. The main disadvantage with a cushion is with transfer and stability. Whilst they are still very easy to use and offer great support, for those who are particularly unstable, a standard bath lift may be a better choice.

To learn more and read customer reviews click here.

Bath lifts for the disabled and elderly conclusion

Bath lifts for disabled people and the elderly can be an excellent bathing aid, for a wide range of people. They make using the bath possible again for those who have started to find it more difficult. It also means that the person bathing is less likely to need assistance whilst using the bath.

A bath lift will also remove a lot of the common hazards that come with taking a bath. Entering and exiting the bath is made much easier and the risk of slipping whilst in the bath is also reduced.

Overall, there are a lot of benefits to bath lifts for disabled people and they are a very affordable way to continue enjoying a bath. Most good models range between $400-$600 and many companies offer the ability to spread the payment.

We hope you found this useful and if you have any questions please leave them in the comments below.