Opinions on having a door fitted in an existing bath.

Having had a shower room in our last house I wouldn’t again! Water gets everywhere, even with a curtain and it’s a chore squeegeeing then drying the floor properly so the loo is usable for others afterwards. An enclosed shower of some sort is so much easier.

I had a U-door fitted in my existing bath. I never have baths, and it was much cheaper than replacing the bath with a walk-in shower.

When DH became frail, he still liked to have a bath, which was all right because I was there to help him get out and make sure he didn't fall.
The AC saw how difficult and dangerous
it had become, and after DH died they suggested forcefully that I should have a shower fitted. I was resistant as I'm pretty spry and agile - for now. But I have had a shower put in and it's okay. It makes sense.

I recommend anyone considering a bath lift to look at the MOLLY BATHER BATH BELT. demonstration video.
Very, very safe and easy to install.
We are thrilled with ours and have used it for many years.

A replacement shower is the long term answer. It’s not just the getting in. It’s the problem of getting out.

I don’t have a problem getting into the bath.
But it’s getting increasingly difficult getting out of the bath.
I can just about manage it. But for his long.

Don’t think I could afford to convert to a a walk-in shower even if i wanted one, unfortunately.

I'm very thankful that I have an ensuite shower room as well as a bathroom in my house. The bathroom has a shower over the bath but I only ever used it once when my boiler broke down so I had no hot water and the over bath shower is electric. Why it didn't occcur to me to turn the immersion heater on I don't know! I've struggled getting into baths to use an over bath shower for years and it obviously doesn't get easier as we age. The last time I had an actual bath was years ago as the hotel bathroom had a shower over but no screen or curtain so I was worried about flooding the bathroom. I had the bath then couldn't get out. I had to call my DD in to help me - thank goodness I hadn't locked the door - but it was embarassing for her as a teenager to have to help her mum in this way!
If you don't have space for a separate shower and your Husband wants to use the bath I'd go for the door option. If you are using it as a shower, waiting for it to drain won't be an issue as it will drain as you shower. Presumably your husband will still climb out as before so won't have to wait until it drains. If in the future he finds climbing in and out a problem then he can use the door and will just have to put up with waiting for the water to drain. Even if your mobility returns in time I'm sure a door will make it so much easier for you anyway.

I have a bath hoist chair from Social Servicesbwhich goes up and down fairly safely. . Not easy to use , but it goes up and down fairly safely.

Good Luck with whatever uou choose.

Used baths with a door years ago in Japan. Very small, like sitting on a seat (which you are) in a box. Didn't take much water. Did have to remember to empty before getting out which only took a couple of minutes.

My mother had a shower put in, and hated it, so she had a walk in bath, a tall one with a seat, but it could only fill about 2 inches before having to shut the door, so a bit of a pfaff sitting waiting for it to fill, and throwing her robe over the side when it reached her knees, because it was too cold to sit and wait without, even with the wall heater on.
Eventually she paid out for a normal bath and a swing seat with lift up legs that swung out over her adjacent loo, so she could use the frame there to help her into it.

I am still dithering. I attend to get some quotes for extending our en-suite into the front roof space & putting a walk in shower there. It will depend on cost.

I’ve a walk in bath and I love it, it fills very quickly and drains very quickly, as I couldn’t get into my old bath due to a stroke I put my old bath in the garden and filled it with flowers it looks fabulous. Good luck with putting a glass door in your bath

Just wondering what you decided to do?

I think converting the whole bathroom I to a wet room is safest.
Then you can have a easily accessible shower with sturdy seat and grab rails and non slip tiles underfoot.
Also makes it easier if when needing assistance from a n other

We’ve just had a walk in bath fitted for my mother and I tried it out last week. It’s easy to navigate, quick to fill and drain. It can also be used as a shower as it has a glass panel at the side.
Of course the weather is still warmish but with heating on in the winter I can’t envisage her getting too cold as the water drains.
She will be able to start drying her top half whilst still sitting in the warm water.
The only downside I found is that the water starts off cold! The hot water cylinder is a long way from the bath so I’ve told her she needs to run the water a little before she gets inu so it’s warm to begin with.
If you are interested I could send you a photo.

My late DH hated showering (obviously some youthful horror story) so when getting in and out of the bath became risky we had a bath lift put in the en suite bathroom which meant bathing could be warm, safe and easy. As his Parkinson’s progressed the job fell to me and although time consuming was not too stressful. We turned the whole business into a joke and it just became part of life, another thing for me to do but not a problem.

You need a shower and so will he before long. Why are his desires more important than yours? Isn’t he being just a little bit selfish?
I replaced my bath with a gorgeous walk-in shower recently - not because I was having difficulty getting into the bath but because I never took baths. But I can see that as I age it’s sensible thing to do.

Notspaghetti no. Using a bath board is certainly not easier. The lifting and twisting is painful and awkward.

I'd hope that older people would get a shower fitted with grab rails.
I have a bath but when travelling and having to use showers, I'm amazed how few of them have anything that's meant to hold onto.
I like to lift one foot at a time to wash them in a shower, which usually feels precarious.
Anyone of any age could overbalance, slip or feel faint and it seems careless to me not to provide at least one stable grab bar in the shower.

David49

I converted from bath to shower about 5 yrs ago it’s much better as you get less agile, a walk-in shower is so much easier.

This
And so much safer……….not heard of anyone drowning after slipping in a shower but attended to quite a few who died in their baths after slipping and losing consciousness.

So if you just used it to get into the bath to stand that might actually be easier.
Just an idea.

Sit on the bath board

I used to sit in it and painfully, awkwardly trying to swung my legs over the side of the bath. The I'd use the showerhead to wash off the soapy lather. All v difficult as I couldn't bend much. We soon saw how ridiculous the situation was and a nice company came and took the bath out and fitted a walk in shower with a fixed glass panel. All we have to do is walk round it. It's really mean your DH insisting on keeping a bath. Apart from anything else he'll not be getting any younger and fitter either!

Aveline did you use it to sit on and wash/shower or to just get into the "bowl" of the bath to have an ordinary stand-up shower?

I was really thinking of just being able to get over the edge.

I converted from bath to shower about 5 yrs ago it’s much better as you get less agile, a walk-in shower is so much easier.