As my 90-year-old mother prepares to move into an independent living community, she has many concerns. She wants to be sure the food is good, her apartment is light and spacious, and there are fellow bridge players. She needs to know additional assistance is available if she needs it, and that her grandchildren will have a place to stay when they visit. She also needs to know she will be able to continue to bathe by herself, so the bathtub/shower is one of her many important concerns. Like many people her age, my mother's balance is imperfect and her mobility is limited. Her familiar bathing arrangement at home involves seats and grab bars. She is able to lift her leg over the lip of the shower and safely enter the stall. The adjustable, long reach showerhead allows her to sit while she washes herself. In addition to the shower, my mother has a beautiful deep tub in her bathroom at home. This tub would be therapeutic and soothing for her arthritis, but since it is not a walk-in tub, it has been years since she has been able to use it. Even with help (which she doesn't want anyway), she has safe no way to get into that lovely bathtub. For my mother, being able to soak in a bathtub again would help overcome her reluctance to move. Surprisingly, not all of the retirement settings my mother explored had handicapped bathtubs that she could use by herself. Because her continued independence is paramount for her, she rejected any facility without a walk in tub. The place my mother selected offered to replace the standard tub in her apartment with a walk-in bathtub. The retirement community my mother chose has savvy management. With the current state of the economy, the demand for retirement communities is down and empty apartments are up. They know my mother is not unique, that many seniors would appreciate the independence and enjoyment of walk-in bathtubs. So this company decided to install walkin bathtubs in all their empty apartments, not just my mother's. My mother's senior community is owned by a national corporation, as are most such facilities. The corporation is considering walk-in tubs for all their new construction. Management recently contacted the manufacturer of walk-in bathtubs in order to get the best wholesale price possible. Knowledgeable customer service professionals helped the corporate buyer decide on the best walk in tubs for their clientele. The walk-in bathtubs will provide the corporation with a distinct business advantage, and they will do much more. Walk-in tubs will help seniors like my mother maintain their independence longer by allowing them to continue to bathe by themselves safely. These well-designed bathtubs will also give the residents soothing and enjoyable bathing experiences. It is remarkable how a simple modification in a living space, such as a walk-in bathtub, can help ensure dignity and a good quality of life for senior citizens. My mother helped the management of her new community see that good business and the well being of residents are mutually compatible.
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