Up with loos!

We've both had hip replacements, and the teams around the surgeons make sure that chairs, sofas, and loos are at a good height. You can get blocks to raise chairs, and a special seat for the loo (and yes, you can get taller ones that are pre-made that way).

As many have said, I find lots of 'normal' loos quite a shock when sitting down!

At last someone after my own heart. Sometimes it's like sitting on the floor. Pub loos (I find) are the worst. If only they would install higher loos in public places.

SueDonim

I used a loo in Edinburgh airport recently and it was incredibly low, I sat down with a thud! Although I don’t normally have a problem standing up this was a challenge. As I left the cubicle I spotted the sign on the door which said Children’s toilet. 😂😂

Wow ! What a cute write up !

RADAR (Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation) were the organisation behind the introduction of a nearly universal (in UK, anyway) lock for accessible toilets, way back in the 70s. Anyone who needs it can buy one of the keys and know they'll have access to thousands of loos across the country.
RADAR no longer exist but the keys are still widely available and known as the National Key Scheme.

What are radar keys

I have a phobia about public loos - my Mother attempted a 'no touch' technique if we were forced to use them, and I was practically boiled in TCP on arriving home. I hover - too much information, sorry - caused by my early training, so the height is largely irrelevant. My friend's mother, a dignified lady whose overall build reminded me of a stout pigeon, had compiled her own local 'good loo' guide, and announced that several stores were on her blacklist as the flush was too high. Mystified, we pressed further. Evidently she would never touch the flush handles, and would take her shoe off to press the button/lever with her foot. The picture this conjured made it very difficult for us to keep straight faces.

I have a Radar key due to having an ileostomy and sometimes need a bit more room to empty or change my stoma bag. However, I'm frequently disgusted at how dirty the accessible/disabled toilets are.

I don’t like sitting on public loos so hover, but am aware it’s not good for pelvic floor or complete bladder emptying.
Feet should apparently be flat on the floor to aid natural defecation and prevent piles! I’m short so always dangle from loos and still have trouble getting up!

I won a holiday to Turkey in the later 1990s. I went with my best friend who was 20 years older… so I was c late 50s, she was late 70s ( as I am now) … accomodation and local loo were smelly almost everywhere, and towards the end of this holiday we both went down with diahorrea…I had Imodium but it wasn’t fully working. Got to the Airport to come home…sent through to a room to wait, one toilet block near only. Plane delayed for hours, we both needed the loo. My. Friend went first and came back complaining hole in the ground toilet! I went later… awful hole in the ground… after a few trips to and fro… went back in and this time one of the others in the row had its door open, they’d all been occupied previously, went in …normal toilet! We’d both chosen the Only one in the row that was the Turkish hole in the ground version!
No fun with diahorrea'! Thank goodness loads of Imodium eventually worked!

Well remember going to bathroom showroom with our builder to choose our fixtures in 2022. Sales rep. basically ignored me only to talk to the men, obviously over my head all of this.
So, off I went to check out all the displays. All was well until I sat on a loo, tried the next display, same thing, either I had suddenly grown or I was back at Primary School !
Once pointed out to sales rep he looked totally confused as did builder. Turned out , after I went through the brochures, I required "comfort " loos ie a reasonable height for an adult as opposed to a 4 year old. Builder had never heard the term and we still laugh at how ridiculous it was. Of course we all would prefer being uncomfortable when doing the necessary !

I read that it's supposed to be healthy to have a low level loo (allegedly more natural) but since I had my knee replacement, I have to sort of drop down and getting up again can be interesting!

I wonder how people manage with those squat style loos abroad? French campsites always had them in the 1960s.

62Granny that's appalling 😳
Did you feel able to tell the staff how inadequate their facilities are?

Does the garage hold some disability-friendly accreditation?
You could let the awarding body know.

The loos in Antrim mall are incredibly low. I actually thought I'd gone into a child cubicle. 😅

Woollywoman

Polwal - Premier Inn do do adjoining rooms, which are normally on the ground floor

I don't think one of these would be a disabled-friendly room though, if that's what's required.

I asked for adjoining rooms for Dad and us recently, phoned the Premier Inn we were going to stay at and was assured it was all arranged. I was even given the room numbers.
On arrival this wasn't the case, and the adjoining room I'd been told we'd have was actually a family room which had now been given to people with children. Obviously they couldn't be asked to move.

Eventually the receptionist found us two standard rooms next door to each other, so I only had to pop out into the corridor to get to Dad.
I asked for an extra door key so I had one to come and go and we could leave the other one in his electricity slot.
We managed pretty well!

I have the same problem finding the toilets too low when you have dodgy knees. I try to find one with bars on the wall, otherwise I’m not sure I will be able to get up.

My DH is in a wheelchair and yesterday we had to take our car into a garage an hours drive away to have the wheelchair hoist repaired, there was a waiting area, with a sign saying there was a disabled loo. I didn't think to go down to check it first and it was totally unsuitable for anyone in a wheelchair or even with mobility problems in general, , it was down a narrow corridor with a sharp bend when he got in the grab rails had been removed, and were on the the windowsill🤷 he could not transfer from his chair to the loo and you could not close the door with the wheelchair in the room, all it was was a slightly longer room than the other loos there It was a joke, this garage deals with adaptations to cars for disabled people, so they probably have plenty of disabled people going there. On the bright side there was a " nice picture" at floor level in the corner.🤐

We are both taller people and I had knee problems so when we replaced the toilets (up and downstairs) we fitted them on a frame and you could choose what height you wanted. This also meant the toilet was raised off the floor and it is easy to mop underneath.

Thanks for a good laugh Alex.
My problems are the other way round.
At 4'10" I have the opposite problem. After a long stay in hospital (I'll spare you the details) the hos[ital sent someone to assess my home to see if it was suitable for me to return to.
I was informed by a really pleasant young lady that they'd adapted my loo and easy chair so that they suited my needs as well as putting rails up for me to climb the steps to my front door and I was really grateful.
I was really grateful, until I got home.
The loo had a raised plastic seat, but by the time I'd climbed onto it I'd soiled or wet myself and my feet wouldn't reach the floor. Life is difficult if your feet don't reach the floor especially if you get constipated as well as the other way.
My lovely reclining armchair that cost a fortune and was made-to-measure, had ugly 6" legs attached and my feet swung off the floor once more.
One size doesn't fit all.

Polwal - Premier Inn do do adjoining rooms, which are normally on the ground floor

Some hilarious tales on here!
Interestingly I recently read that folk who have trouble with constipation, would find things in that department easier on a low or normal height loo rather than the higher disabled ones.

Similar to the Macmillan card mentioned, i have an Age UK card that states"I can't wait" and you show this to get access. Some places don't have RADAR keys fitted - but i learned that this is because the disabled WC has to conform to specific measurements. However there is usually a key for these at the nearest help/reception areas.

2oaktrees

Why dont you all just stand over loo?

With my knees, that's not going to happen. Also, I wish other people wouldn't as they always seem to splash on the seats.

When I was expecting my first child ( 50 years ago. Dear Lord) I had to go into hospital a month early as he appeared not to be growing properly. My stomach was churning and I desperately needed the loo.
It was pointed out to me
And I waddled up very quickly and hurtled in. I couldn’t find the light switch, but managed to locate it. I sat down on the (very low) loo. Just in time. The inevitable happened. I just sat, merely relieved that I’d made it.
As my eyes became accustomed to the gloom I realised there was another loo, a taller one, next to mine. I thought it marvellous that there were different heights, but regretted getting on the lower one at 5ft 9 and 8 months gone. When the bowels had calmed I found the light switch and as the tiny
room lit up I realised I was sitting on the bidet.
A search party was eventually sent out just as I’d finished
the clean up. I never even told my husband ( and I certainly won’t be telling him now, 40 years post divorce )

In Italy a few years ago the only loo we could find was SO LOW it was almost on the floor. Ridiculous. Actually we had real difficulty finding anywhere at all and, when we did, it wasn't very nice. How are things done in other countries? It actually puts me off going to some places. For goodness sake, everyone has to go so why aren't there nice ones everywhere? I don't even mind paying as long as they are single-sex, clean and spacious.

Our main bathroom has a higher loo than those in our en-suite or downstairs, it's quite my favourite. I have become aware how low some are and my preference now is very much for a higher one definitely.