SHOWER OVER TOILET?????

liesa

My OT has arranged with buiding surveyer and architect to install me a downstairs loo, i live in a 3 bed council house with just 1 loo upstairs, i have along with the arthritis urge incontinence, when the brain gets the message i wanna go spend a penny... it usually means bursting!! and have troube getting there so quickly, i had a bone scan last year which shows degenerative arthritis in both hips but i feel it in just the right most of the time....
anyways we have a dining room which houses 2 of my big dolls hoouses and kids toys for the grandkids... its not really used as a dining room in yonks...
i have 2 windows in there one is small in the corner so i thought they could make me a small toilet in that corner....
noooooooooooooooo the OT is acting on the fact i could end up in a wheelchair and they wanna widen doorways etc
they have now left me with the thooughts of a shower over toilet... what the heck is it?? if theyre working on a small loo with over toilet shower surely i woudnt get in it... in a wheelchair???? to be honest im picturing something so small... my upstairs loo is a tint one, i cant shut the door properly due to my knee not coming back far enough...
i just wanted to know what a shower over toilet is like... i've googled it but had some disgusting pictures show up and some old fashioned ones... also bum showers ...lol
can anyone tell me what it is please?

stickywicket

I don't know what it is, Liesa. I know there are shower chairs and also similar ones that fit over toilets.

Do you mean they prefer not to do anything with your dining room? If so, where would they put it downstairs?

liesa

there isnt anywhere else to put it, my need is greater as i get older...
they drew diagrams etc and showed me an idea or two... one was to go through the leanto which would block the access to the leanto from the front of the house, hubby keeps his motorbikes in there so not really an option...
they wanna widen doors... only talked of kitchen to sitting room, and blocking dining room one by the front door

just dont really get it but shower over toilet sounds so small.. one minute theyre widening doorways for a 'wheelchair' and sounds like a tiny toilet... i told them i only need a toilet not a shower downstairs as i have one upstairs but its over bath and they dont like it... they say its to dangerous for me... i absolutely HATE arthritis! it messes up everythng!!!!

constable

well, you must be very confused at the moment. I know I am. I've never heard of a shower over a toilet, and I'll be honest the images I keep getting are rather comical. (sorry) I do hope that you can get this all sorted out soon.

I somewhat know where you are coming from. We have only the one loo, two girls, one spending ages in the loo and when I want to go, I gotta go like now. My husband spend ages in there as he has problems too. It can be vey stressful most of the time. We live in a two up two down council property.

I do hope you get you toilet very soon, shall keep my fingers crossed for you.. Tell us how it goes wont you.


Karen xx

stickywicket

Obviously, where there's a loo there must be washing facilities but I still don't quite grasp the 'shower OVER loo' thing, Liesa. I'll get googling later.

liesa

there are some weird pics on google... but also if you go to 'more' up comes some really disgusting pics so be careful please xxx

chile168

Hi Liesa hope you are well.

Just read your post and not sure what is a shower over toilet but assume it could be a vidae (not sure spelt correctly). You should get the layout before they install it hun. Having had a wet room installed in case I end up in wheelchair (echo) :roll: I am now fighting to get the layout changed because of problems. I can honestly say, I wish I had been stronger at the time because even though I mentioned I was not happy with the layout the surveyor didn't listen. My advice is that once they produce the CAD layout, state clearly and firmly if you are unhappy with it. If the surveyor is not listening then speak to the council because they must provide you with answers before installing it. I wish I had done that :sad:

On the other hand it may be just right which I hope will be for you. Good luck hun xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Eve

stickywicket

OK, I've had a good look, Liesa, and my guess is they're talking about a Shower/Over Toilet Chair. This would mean they'll give you both a toilet and a shower and also a chair similar to (But probably a bit better looking than) the ones you use in hospitals after operations. They have a hole in so's they can wheel you to the loo and the whole chair fits over the loo so you don't have to get out. It can then be wheeled to the shower and, being plastic, you can shower in it too. (They have brakes!)

If you don't need the chair component they may well say 'OK, let's know when you do' and you'd then just have a downstairs loo and shower. I use a raised toilet seat but I also have a frame, with arm rests, that goes round the loo which makes getting up unaided, before and after operations, much easier - well, actually it makes it possible as opposed to impossible. Normally it just lives in the garage.

valval

sounds like a wet room with a toilet in so you get the best of both worlds val

frogmorton

It's a shower in the room high up on a wall and you sit on a bath chair on wheels and get underneath it. If you are lucky it may be like a wetroom for you Leisa!!!

They will make your windows perfectly private!!

How lovely! Are you haopy with the idea?

Love

Toni xx

liesa

thanks everyone, yes i am happy, only wanted or needed the downstairs toilet so if it shares with a shower then thats good to... they are trying to prepare 'incase' i need a wheelchair one day lets hope not.. and that i may have to sleep in the downstairs room whch is my dining room, if they cut a chnk out for the loo then i will have to sleep alone as the room s small... never mind.. just give me the loo for now, will worry about the rest when and if the time comes xxxxxx

tkachev

They should have explained it to you a bit better. Seems Toni knows all about it and did a better job explaining than the council peeps and has made it sound appealing-sales job for you Toni.

OH wants me to put a downstairs loo in the corner of the kitchen. We have a very large kitchen so could afford to lose the space just don't know how I would feel about having a loo in such close proximity to my kitchen.

Like you I have all arthers probs and when I need the loo I need it quick!

Good luck

Elizabeth

hileena111

Hi Elizabeth
It would be OK.....no way would they let you put one in close to the kitchen if it wasnt well sealed off.
My mam lives in Northern Ireland.......has her own house....2 rooms downstairs and 3 bedrooms upstairs.....until about 6 months ago {shes 88 now} she was going up and down stairs to the loo/bathroom...her arthritis has been bad for a long time along with other aches and pains.
The council said they would add a toilet on to the end of her kitchen but she wasnt happy about it....but living on her own and only having one toilet and it upstairs she agreed to it.......They have put a wall up at the end of the kitchen, behind that wall is a small room with a wash basin and she has room to keep her washing maching in there {her kitchen isnt overly big} then another wall and behind that is the toilet and a shower. Shes much happier now that she has seen it.....

Liesa dont know how i missed this post...sorry. I couldnt understand what you/they meant either.....I was having all sorts of images ..

Love
Hileena

Pherstun

I presume that you are paying full price for this conversion, ie not having any grant at all? If so I would hesitate at what the builders are suggesting, it seems to me like they are pushing you into more work than you need when you may never need it.

Presumably at the moment you are able to get up and down stairs, as you say the loo downstairs is for when you need to go urgently to save you getting upstairs.

Do you think the idea of having a bath downstairs is a good idea? If you were ever in a wheelchair situation could you have a bedroom downstairs?

Even if you're only having a toilet, I can understand why they're suggesting to widen the door while they're doing the work (it would save money if you need it in the future).

If you become immobile though would you be able to install a chair lift to get upstairs for bed etc? (depends if your stairway is wide enough)

Loads of questions I know but hopefully it will help! Let us know how you get on.

Debbie

woodbon

Hi, The idea of a shower over the toilet puts some very strange pictures in my mind!! I've been a professonal carer for disabled, then elderly people and some of that working in the community and I have seen some things, but never that. :shock:

Do you know anyone like a friendly plumber or builder, who could advise you about what is possible to achieve, given the space in your house and the cost, roughly, to do the job. You may be quite surprised and then you can see the OT and give her the plan that you have come up with and try and get them to do the job you want. My niece is disabled and has had altherations to her house and the orginial plans, drawn up by the council, waisted space and took away room for her tumble dryer, which she needs, as she often can't get to the loo in time.
Her husband is a builder and his boss gave him some help with planning and costing. At first the council refused, but in the end they gave in and she has what she needs and wanted.
My advice would be to find out what you can have and what it might cost, so you can argue your case!! It may be that when you look into it, it is the only way, but it does sound strange to me!!! Good luck, Love Sue xxx

liesa

thanks all for your replies...

my house is a 3 bed council house, i dont have the money to do alterations myself...
these are just ideas at the mo and i was told i dnt have to accept any... but they will come up with many ideas and show me, nothing will be done against my wishes... i had the building surveyer take pictures and draw rough diagrams and the architect was also taking pictures along with the OT, all of which are really nice and helpful,
i only ever asked them for a downstairs loo and theyre coming up with everything else, as they were leaving i said, please guys i really just need a downstairs loo... they are thinking of years ahead when i wanna think about today...
love to you all xxxxxxxxxx

tkachev

Hi Liesa,

It is always good to look ahead but if it is just a loo you need then insist on that.

Hi Hileena,
We would have a partition wall with a door into a small room for washing machine and dryer then a door into the toilet (or toilet/shower) similar layout to your mum's house. OH dad is a builder and does convertions for the council. I have seen some of his lovely private downstairs shower/toilet rooms(not seen the council ones). It is just that It will be right next to the kitchen!

E x