Anyone who’s lived with a mobility impairment personally or supported someone close to them, will know that the path to finding the right equipment is sometimes long and challenging – assistive technology comes in many forms and not all use cases are the same. When our users discover Showerbuddy systems and the accessories available, we are often met with excellent feedback about how well it slots into their daily lives. And that’s what good product design is about – it works around you.
One such client of Showerbuddy who shared her story with us was Nadeen, the daughter of her 92 year old mother who lives with a significantly reduced level of independent mobility.
In this article we’ll share Nadeen’s story, so you can hear just how Showerbuddy’s solutions play a part in making our community’s lives easier.
A long history with assistive devices
Like many of our community, Nadeen and her mother weren’t newcomers to mobility equipment and assistive technology when they got Showerbuddy , having tried various products in the past: “We own every possible device and gadget imaginable to make caring for my 92 year old mom easier. The ShowerBuddy travel chair is probably the most useful thing I have purchased”, Nadeen told us. With the range of functions Showerbuddy’s travel solution offers, the mother/daughter duo shared that “this chair is a life changer”.
It’s not uncommon for our users to share stories of trial and error with other solutions; the bathroom is a complex environment for someone with mobility challenges – from using the toilet to taking a shower and most hazardous – moving between each. Families who’ve struggled with an inferior solution previously are always amazed at just how much manual effort they’d been doing before this was accommodated by Showerbuddy.
A tricky, tight bathroom
One of the most commonly asked questions our distributors get about Showerbuddy is ‘will it fit in my bathroom’ – a very real concern for families looking to get the best solution within modest sized bathrooms. This challenge sometimes leaves families feeling like they need to compromise on the solution – until they learn about Showerbuddy of course.
The reality is that millions of bathrooms worldwide are small or unusually shaped. That’s why our product range and accessories are designed to accommodate as broad a range of bathroom sizes as possible. To help families and occupational therapists get peace of mind about Showerbuddy’s compatibility within their bathroom, we developed a web and mobile app that guides you through the measurement process – check it out at BathCheck
Nadeen and her mother faced a similar challenge:
“Our bathroom is small, and fitting my mom’s large tilt-in-space wheelchair inside is challenging already, but to also have room for a second person in the bathroom and to then maneuver a transfer can be very difficult.”
Exploring other traditional commodes didn’t work for Nadeen’s mother as “they are unstable and my mom will not ‘go’ if she is not in the actual bathroom”.
How the Showerbuddy helped transfers and maneuvering
Nadeen and her mother discovered that with the Showerbuddy, they were able to carry out the transfer onto the chair in an open space like the kitchen, removing the difficulty of a cramped and dangerous mount inside the bathroom. “We can then just wheel the compact ShowerBuddy into the bathroom, remove the basin, and even on the shortest setting, easily slide mom over the taller “comfort height” toilet. If needed, we can then roll right into the shower after for a quick clean up!”
Thanks to high quality caster wheels and slim footprint, users of the SB7e travel solution enjoy faster, smoother transfers in and out of the bathroom.
A quick set up and pack down
Part of the benefits behind the SB7e is the ease of which it can be folded down into a travel bag, and set up at the other end, quickly. This makes the SB7e a choice of many families where travel is a daily occurrence; they want to take the comfort and function of Showerbuddy everywhere.
Nadeen shared with us her experience of the SB7e’s flexibility on the road, as well as its ability to run at home as a daily bathing solution:
“The fold down and re-set of the chair is simple and intuitive, taking 5 minutes without looking at directions. Not only does it enable us to travel without hauling a separate shower chair, detachable grab bar, toilet rail, and raised toilet seat (which is utterly exhausting), but it has become a staple in our house for daily use as well.”
A long lasting partnership
Hearing from another family about how Showerbuddy has made their life easy was fulfilling, but Nadeen also shared her feedback on another critical part of our business that we pride ourselves on globally – our relationship with our users”
“If the usefulness of the chair was not enough, the customer service that this company provides is incredible”, Nadeen told us. “Questions are answered quickly, the ShowerBuddy team actually listens and troubleshoots, and they are interested in feedback to learn how they can improve their products” – a reference to feedback on the SB7e that was incorporated quickly into a design iteration for SB7e.
“They actually care, which is quite refreshing. Thank you ShowerBuddy!!”
Our community is everything to us
We thank Nadeen for taking the time to share with the broader mobility community and our team her experience of Showerbuddy’s SB7e and working with our team. Whether you’re an occupational therapist, family member, carer, or the user of our solutions, our goal is to make your life a bit easier.
If you have feedback on your experience with Showerbuddy, we’d love to hear it. How has it helped you? Are there things you’d like to suggest for future product updates? We welcome any and all feedback to make Showerbuddy the best in class solution for bathroom mobility.
Learn more about bathroom transfer solutions
You can learn more about Showerbuddy or, get in touch with our team to arrange a demo with your nearest distributor.
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