A MINI WASHPOD HELPS ALICE TO GET HER MOTHER HOME AFTER SEVERE STROKE

Earlier this year, Alice’s mother had a severe stroke and required rehabilitation as an inpatient for a several months. When she was due to be discharged, Alice and her brothers were keen to get their mother back to her own home to familiar surroundings where she could live independently again. The installation of a Mini WashPod temporary disabled wetroom has allowed them to achieve this.

“We were looking for a downstairs bathroom solution as without one we would have been facing a residential care setting as the only alternative, or selling my mum’s house and finding a property which could cater to her needs” said Alice. “We were struggling to imagine there could be any workable solution that would fit in the small space available in mum’s house and then we found WashPod from Dignity Access.”

Alice’s mother’s stroke has caused some paralysis on one side as well as severe aphasia which has impacted her ability to communicate. As a result, her mother is now wheelchair bound – though she continues to undergo physiotherapy with the hope that more movement will be restored in the future. After a long stay in neuro-rehab in hospital, the family wanted her to be able to return home as this was also her strong desire.

“There was no room in her house to build a proper bathroom without considerable reconfiguration to the layout – which was a cost and effort we could not consider in the timelines we had. We wanted to give mum access to a shower and a toilet downstairs so her live-in carer could ensure she had as much dignity as she could when she returned home” Alice said.

“The installation process was excellent – very quick and easy and the team were very friendly and considerate, which goes a long way when the family was in a time of considerable stress. We have been so pleased with the solution – it’s worked perfectly. The installation process was rapid and communication was great, and we’ve been given a solution that enables mum to stay at home when otherwise it would have been impossible” she continues.

The Mini WashPod has allowed Alice’s mother to live in her own home which is has been important for her own sense of independence. It has kept her somewhere familiar even though so much has changed in her life. The care team have also been really impressed with the WashPod and have managed well with the shower chair and the ramps required to get in and out of the unit.

“Before mum was discharged from the neuro rehab centre at St George’s Hospital (https://www.stgeorges.nhs.uk/ward/wolfson-and-thomas-young-ward/) a number of therapists came to see mum’s house to check it was suitable for her” says Alice. “They were impressed by the WashPod and said they’d never seen anything like it before. It really hammered home to us how important a solution this is and how many people must struggle to find a workable answer like this for their family and friends in a time of need”.