A 4 slatted or 6 slatted bath board is available with or without a built in grab handle. The board is designed to fit securely across the top of your bath to provide a safe place to sit when having a wash over the bath or using a shower over the bath. To use the bath board you must be able to sit on the board and then lift your legs over the bath side, this is the same movement as getting your legs into bed. You need good sitting balance to sit safely on the board when washing, an integral grab handle or a grab rail on the wall might give some support.

Useful for you if:

• You can sit safely on a bath board with or without a built in grab handle.
• You can wash safely seated over the bath or when using an over bath shower
• You can transfer safely on and off the bath board

Not recommended for you if:

• You don’t have the strength, balance or range of movement to get on and off or stay seated safely on the board.
• The bath shape or bath edge width cannot support the bath board to be fitted safely (1” of flat surface is required for each side)
• You want to lie down and soak in the bath.
• You are unable to safely fill and empty the bath water or judge a safe temperature for washing.

Fitting considerations:

• Follow manufacturer’s instructions for fitting equipment and for equipment weight limit.
• Boards come in 26”, 27” or 28” and fit across the head end of your bath, supported on each side by the bath edge (at least 1” each side)
• Brackets hold the board securely against the bath sides with hand tightened wing nuts; no tools are required.
• The board should be pushed back into the curve of the bath, to ensure it can’t slide backwards when used.

Other items to consider and additional information:

Please be aware that a self-assessment is not equivalent to an assessment by an occupational therapist or suitable health care professional.

If you are considering purchasing equipment, potential suppliers may be found by clicking General Information in the menu bar at the top of the page. 

If you need more information about the item, seek advice either from the equipment supplier or manufacturer. If you decide to purchase equipment, you should read and follow the instructions carefully.

If you want a soak in the bath but have difficulty getting in and out safely, then a portable powered bath lift may be useful for you. The lifts are battery powered and can be put into a standard bath to support you to the bottom of the bath and raise you back up to the top. The lift is secured into the bath with suckers which stick to a smooth, dry, clean bath surface. You operate the lift with a handset with press buttons. There are several different styles of portable powered bath lift available; some have rigid upright seats, some will recline and there is also an inflatable bath lift that will take you lower down in the bath water. When getting on and off the seat you must be able sit safely and then lift your legs over the bath side; it is a similar movement to getting into bed.

Useful for you if:

• The shape and the surface of your bath is compatible with the bath lifts fitting requirements.
• You have the upper body strength and sitting balance to be seated on a seat while it moves up and down in the bath.
• You are able to bend your hip and knee to get on and off the seat and to sit comfortably as the lift raises or lowers you into the bath.
• You can safely fill and empty the bath.
• You are able to safely place and remove the bath lift from the bath.
• You are able to manage battery charging.

Not recommended for you if:

• You are unable to safely position and remove the bath lift from the bath.
• You don’t have the strength, balance or range of movement to get on and off or stay seated safely while the lift raises and lowers you.
• The bath shape or bath handles prevent safe fitting.
• The bath has a textured, oily or dusty surface prevents the fixing suckers from staying securely in place.
• You are unable to safely fill and empty bath water.

Fitting considerations:

• Follow manufacturer’s instructions for fitting the lift and charging the battery.
• Consider safe working load of the equipment.
• Portable powered bath lifts are fitted to the bath surface with suckers which will only stick securely to a smooth, DRY, clean bath surface.
• If there are handles in the bath these may catch on the seat as is raises or lowers, deflection brackets are available.
• Some bath lifts may not fit securely in corner baths, narrow baths or baths with a curved base.

Other items to consider and additional information:

Bath Board
Bath seat
Swivel bather
Bath step
Grab handles

Please be aware that a self-assessment is not equivalent to an assessment by an occupational therapist or suitable health care professional.

If you are considering purchasing equipment, potential suppliers may be found by clicking General Information in the menu bar at the top of the page. 

If you need more information about the item, seek advice either from the equipment supplier or manufacturer. If you decide to purchase equipment, you should read and follow the instructions carefully.

Useful for you if:

• You are able to safely step in and out of the bath and lower yourself down to a bath seat that could be 6”,8” or 12” high.
• Or you use a bath board over the bath and you have the upper body strength and balance to lower yourself on/off a low bath seat from the board.
• You can bend your hip and knee to tolerate a low level seated position.
• You can safely fill and empty the bath.
• You can wash safely in a seated position.

Not recommended for you if:

• You don’t have the strength, balance or range of movement to get on and off or stay seated safely on the seat.
• The bath shape or a textured, oily or dusty surface prevents the fixing suckers from staying securely in place.
• You want to lie back and soak in the bath.
• You are unable to safely fill and empty the bath water or judge a safe temperature for bathing.

Fitting considerations:

• Follow manufacturer’s instructions for fitting and for equipment weight limit.
• Bath seats are fitted to the bath surface with suckers. When putting the seat in the bath the surface must be smooth, clean and DRY, with no residue of bath oil, soap or cleaning products as this will prevent secure fixing.

Other items to consider and additional information:

Please be aware that a self-assessment is not equivalent to an assessment by an occupational therapist or suitable health care professional.

If you are considering purchasing equipment, potential suppliers may be found by clicking General Information in the menu bar at the top of the page. 

If you need more information about the item, seek advice either from the equipment supplier or manufacturer. If you decide to purchase equipment, you should read and follow the instructions carefully.

Bed grab handles are fitted under your mattress just below pillow level, to give you a secure handle to hold to help you move in bed and to support you when getting in and out of bed. Double ended grab handles are also available to provide a looped handle at each side of a single, double or king-size bed. Rail choice will depend on the type of bed you use; some fit to divan based beds, some to framed beds. These under mattress bed grab handles are not suitable for divans with sprung bases. Some bed grab handles are supported under the mattress by the weight of the mattress and some fit under the mattress with additional fixing straps that secure around the bed base.

Useful for you if:

• You have the grip, range of movement and upper body strength to use grab handles to move in bed and for support when getting in/out of bed.
• Your bed is compatible with one of the rail designs.
• Your bed has a firm divan or frame base under the mattress.
• The grab handle does not obstruct other people’s movements in and out of the bed.
• If your mattress height is not higher than the grab handle.

Not recommended for you if:

• Pain, reduced range of movement or weakness makes use of a bed grab handle painful or unsafe.
• You have a bed with a soft sprung divan base as this does not give adequate support to any under mattress grab handles.
• You want to use a double ended bed grab handle on a slatted bed base as there is a risk of under mattress support tubes slipping through slats.
• Your mattress is deep and the bed grab handle height is lower than the mattress surface as this will prevent effective use of the bed grab handle.
• You are using a powered profiling bed: there are other grab handles designed for use on powered profiling beds.

Fitting considerations:

• Follow manufactures fitting instructions and guidance on safe working load and bed rail positioning to avoid entrapment.
• Identify appropriate bed grab handle for your bed: divan, frame or slatted base.
• Position the bed grab handle just below the bottom edge of the pillow at the head end of the bed.
• If fixing straps are recommended; consider access to under bed drawers.

Other items to consider and additional information:

Please be aware that a self-assessment is not equivalent to an assessment by an occupational therapist or suitable health care professional.

If you are considering purchasing equipment, potential suppliers may be found by clicking General Information in the menu bar at the top of the page. 

If you need more information about the item, seek advice either from the equipment supplier or manufacturer. If you decide to purchase equipment, you should read and follow the instructions carefully.

The double ended bed grab handle has a support frame that is fitted under your mattress just below pillow level, to give you a secure handle to hold to help you move in bed and to support you when getting in and out of bed. Double ended grab handles provide a looped handle at each side of the bed. The framework can be fitted with both grab handles pointing upwards or with one side pointing down. Double ended bed grab handles are adjustable to fit on single, double or king sized beds, they fit well on firm based divan bases and some frame beds, but there is a risk of the framework slipping between slats on a slatted base bed.

Useful for you if:

• You have the grip, range of movement and upper body strength to use grab handles to move in bed and for support when getting in/out of bed.
• Your bed is compatible with the rail design.
• Your bed has a firm divan or frame base under the mattress.
• The grab handle does not obstruct other people’s movements in and out of the bed.
• If your mattress height is not higher than the grab handle.

Not recommended for you if:

• Pain, reduced range of movement or weakness makes use of a bed grab handle painful or unsafe.
• You have a bed with a soft sprung divan base as this does not give adequate support to any under mattress grab handles.
• Your bed has a slatted base and the under mattress frame of the grab handle may slip between the slats.
• The bed grab handle height is lower than the mattress surface as this will prevent effective use of the bed grab handle.
• You are using a powered profiling bed: there are other grab handles designed for use on powered profiling beds.

Fitting considerations:

• Follow manufactures fitting instructions and guidance on safe working load and bed rail positioning to avoid entrapment.
• Identify appropriate bed grab handle for your bed: divan, frame or slatted base.
• Position the bed grab handle just below the bottom edge of the pillow at the head end of the bed.
• If one grab handle is to be positioned pointing downwards; consider if this will affect access to under bed drawers.

Other items to consider and additional information:

Please be aware that a self-assessment is not equivalent to an assessment by an occupational therapist or suitable health care professional.

If you are considering purchasing equipment, potential suppliers may be found by clicking General Information in the menu bar at the top of the page. 

If you need more information about the item, seek advice either from the equipment supplier or manufacturer. If you decide to purchase equipment, you should read and follow the instructions carefully.