Supporting Client Recovery

This article will outline some great reasons for Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence
lawyers to consider WashPod™ temporary disabled wetrooms for their clients.
Solicitors representing clients following serious injury or clinical negligence, rightly focus on
achieving the best possible legal and financial outcomes. Yet the period between hospital
discharge and recovery (or adjusting to a ‘new normal’) can be one of the most difficult
stages in the rehabilitation process — particularly when our homes are not suitably adapted
for independent living once disabled.

In these circumstances, WashPod™ temporary disabled wetrooms can offer an effective,
rapid dignified, and cost-efficient solution. For personal injury and clinical negligence
lawyers, understanding and recommending such practical aids can make a significant
difference to client welfare and case progression. And speed reactions can be crucial in
fostering a trusting client relationship.

To explore the need for speed in outcomes, the University of York and Foundations recently
undertook the Bath-out 2 study looking at the effects of timely, swift adaptations in providing
a walk—in shower.

• The first was improved Physical Wellbeing – Participants who received adaptations
  more quickly reported significantly better physical wellbeing scores and they
  demonstrated measurable improvements in their daily lives.
• There was a 70% Reduction in Falls – reducing hospital admissions and the
  associated strain on healthcare services.
• There was Increased Independence – The ability to bathe independently improved
  dramatically, with the bathing-specific independence rising nearly tenfold.
• And it was a Cost-Effective Solution – Faster installations saved an average of
  £1,100 per person in health and social care costs. That’s exactly how much it costs a
  day for a typical inpatient treatment in a spinal injury unit. That’s every day, so
  £8000 a week.

Louella Todd from the OT Practice said “For those of us working to support individuals in
maintaining independence at home, the Bath Out 2 study is not just another research paper,
it is a call to action. The findings provide the strongest evidence to date that delaying
adaptations is not only inefficient but costly for both individuals and the wider system”

Bridging the Gap Between Discharge and Adaptation

After a life-changing event such as a spinal injury, amputation, or orthopaedic trauma, many
clients find that their homes no longer meet their basic needs. Bathing and personal care —
essential to both comfort and dignity (and often medical necessity) — can become daily
challenges.

While permanent housing adaptations are often necessary in the longterm, the process of
securing and completing them can take many months. During this time, clients may remain
in hospital unnecessarily or be placed in rehab units or temporary care accommodation,
leading to additional costs and delays to their recovery. Also, the process of litigation can be painfully slow and securing a rental property that can be
changed with the changing needs of the client and falls within the financial constraints of
interim periods, is often an attractive option. But if the client is in rental accommodation, the adaptation process becomes doubly complicated and requires landlord approval, which they
rarely want to give as they are not keen in wholescale changes to their properties that may
de-value them for a later tenant.

WashPods™ provide an immediate, fully accessible bathing facility that can be installed
inside or outside a client’s home, typically within a single day, and removed without structural
alteration once no longer needed. It allows clients to return home sooner, regain
independence, and begin rebuilding their lives in familiar surroundings.

Key Advantages for Legal Teams and Clients

1. Facilitates Early Hospital Discharge
Prompt installation of a WashPod™ can enable a safe and supported return home, reducing
both hospital stays and interim care costs. This demonstrates proactive case management
and responsible use of interim payments.

2. Promotes Independence and Rehabilitation
Access to safe, private bathing facilities helps clients maintain dignity, confidence, and
routine — vital components of psychological and physical recovery.
Warm showers help stimulate circulation, relax tense muscles, and relieve stiffness, turning
a simple daily act into a powerful tool for physical and emotional wellbeing. Studies recently
by Barraclough and another by Pearce have shown that warm water can ease muscle
spasms, increase flexibility, and boost blood flow – supporting the delivery of oxygen and
nutrients needed for cellular repair and recovery.
Regular washing and showering offer more than just physical benefits – they also play a
powerful role in supporting mental health. Warm water can help calm the nervous system,
reduce anxiety, and create a soothing sense of routine during stressful times. This effect is
partly due to the release of endorphins which are the “feel-good” hormones triggered by
warm water – that promote a sense of wellbeing.

3. Opens Up Options for Rental Accommodation
Whatever the circumstances, although being able to wash yourself becomes incredibly
important at these difficult times, disruption in the home can also be very upsetting. So
having a solution that can be quickly and easily provided is a huge bonus.
Equally being able to easily remove the solution when it is no longer needed is also
attractive, particularly for landlords, who rarely want to modify their properties.
Renting can be an obvious and sometimes even the only solution when parameters are
evolving and changing through the life-time of a claim. The needs of a baby are very
different from those of a toddler or even a teenager. But few rental properties have wetrooms
or indeed any accessible features.
A WashPod™ can significantly open up the number of suitable rental properties, not only
expediating the speed with which a property can be found, but also allowing a greater
selection at more lucrative prices.

4. A WashPod™ can move with the Client
And, another advantage with a WashPod™ is that it can stay with the client so that if they
move, the WashPod™ can move too! We’ve had this several times. One is at a primary

school where the WashPod™ will move with the child when they move to secondary school.
Another client is rental accommodation and took the WashPod™ with them from a previous
property. And for another we changed their Internal Standard WashPod™ to an External
Standard, simply by moving it outside and adding an external sleeve.
Recently a case manager has told us “What makes the WashPod™ the best solution, over
and above a standard accessible bathroom adaptation is that as and when my client moves
house, the WashPod™ can be dismantled and taken to the new property and set up again,
which you couldn’t do with an accessible bathroom adaptation. This means, moving forward,
my client will always have access to accessible facilities in their own home and is
economically much more sensible than completing an accessible bathroom adaptation”.

5. Cost-Effective and Flexible
Compared with prolonged care arrangements or major building works, a WashPod™ offers a
practical, budget-friendly interim adaptation. Because it is temporary and non-invasive, it is
ideal for rented accommodation or clients awaiting property purchases or permanent
adaptations.

6. Enhances the Client Experience
Beyond the legal outcome, clients value firms that take tangible steps to support their
wellbeing. Helping arrange an immediate home adaptation reflects compassion, initiative,
and a holistic approach to rehabilitation.

Whatever the condition, we know that speed is proven to be everything when it comes to
restoring dignity, improving morale and expediating recovery. It’s also good for you to be able
to provide some quick answers and begin to develop the trust and relationship with your
client. At times of trauma and vulnerability, your clients will likely be on high alert for people
they can trust and if they don’t feel it, they might become despondent and difficult to engage.
To give a competitive edge among law firms in this busy market, there is an increase in the
services offered to integrate rehabilitation and accessibility support into the legal service.
Recommending or facilitating a WashPod™ installation showcases a firm’s commitment to
practical solutions that directly improve clients’ quality of life.

By partnering with trusted adaptation providers, lawyers can ensure their clients transition
home quickly and safely, often weeks before traditional adaptations would allow. The result
is not only improved client satisfaction but also faster progress toward settlement and case
resolution. For legal professionals having to manage their client’s expectations, it provides a
trusted, immediate answer to one of the most pressing post-injury challenges.