IndiGo Drive Shower Chair
The service user was a young adult male living alone in his flat. He is a powered wheelchair user, has limited mobility and can only transfer using a slide board on his right hand side. He was using a basic self-propelling chair to shower and toilet and transferred onto the chair without assistance from care staff when he needed to access the bathroom at night.
However, the user found unaided transfer difficult as the chair brakes couldn’t hold the chair in a suitably stable position, and he was forced to place it over the toilet to prevent excess movement. He relied on care staff visits once per day to support with washing or toileting. The client wanted to be independent and felt that with a more stable chair, he could be. The occupational therapist discussed the case with Wealden Rehab, and we suggested our IndiGo Drive shower chair.
Key points for consideration that we noted before recommending the IndiGo Drive included the following:
- The user was dependent on carers for morning showers but wanted independence.
- The current standard shower chair/commode was unsuitable for several reasons:
- The user was unable to apply the brakes during transfer from his current shower chair and powered wheelchair.
- The user had experienced a number of non-injury falls when attempting to slide board transfer between his powered wheelchair and the shower chair.
- The process to transfer required a great deal of effort and was time-consuming – something not conducive to long-term health, wellbeing, and safety.
- The user felt unsafe when transferring, affecting his confidence.
Our recommendation: the IndiGo Drive
Our team demonstrated the capabilities of the IndiGo Drive shower chair, ensuring it’s suitability for both the user and his home environment by checking space and accessibility for movement and turning. We then asked the user to transfer from his bed (the desired transfer location) to the IndiGo chair.
The user was able to drive the chair from the bedroom into the bathroom, where it was a good fit over the toilet. On further assessment, we found the seat height was too high for comfortable transfer, so we agreed that we would reduce the height of the chair by 2” to improve comfort and usability. As he was left-handed, the user requested us to move the controls to the left-hand side of the chair – a simple adjustment we were happy to make.
The user’s Care Package was reduced to zero
After his bespoke IndiGo Drive chair was delivered, it was able to give this user complete independence. Able to complete all showering, toileting and transfers self-sufficiently, his care package was reduced to zero. Not only did this save money and resources for the local council, but it restored his dignity and confidence.
The user was delighted with the IndiGo Drive shower chair and was keen to provide positive feedback to his Occupational Therapist and Wealden Rehab.
No need for a package of care
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Independence in toileting and showering
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No mechanical issues/breakdown
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No need for re-configuration of wet room
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No falls since using the IndiGo chair
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No ongoing requirement for a wash-dry toilet, representing further social care cost-saving
In recommending the IndiGo Drive, Wealden Rehab has helped improve patient safety, independence and dignity, and eliminated the need for a package of care previously costing £137.76 per week (part funded by the user).
This case study demonstrates how, by identifying a user’s care needs and the most effective solutions, it’s possible to clearly see and justify the provision of equipment and long-term savings made to social care funds. There are some websites that provide online care-cost calculators to make the process simple, for example www.homecare.co.uk.
Visit the full IndiGo range and discover the many features and benefits for your clients.