Adapting changing spaces for assisted use

Providing adapted changing places and assisted toileting facilities for dependent adults is thankfully becoming a more popular fixture in public buildings.

But despite the successful ‘Changing Places’ campaign leading the call for more of these installations in public buildings, many properties do not lend themselves to easy adaptation.

Here we look at the many installation options offered by Kingkraft that can help to adapt suitable spaces that have issues with stud walls and low ceilings.

Both new and old buildings can present challenges when attempting to provide adapted facilities and installing essential equipment such as hoists, changing tables and adjustable basins.

In premises such as retail spaces and museums where stud walls are often installed to create partitions, these surfaces are often too weak to take the weight of a hoist system, with difficult ceiling heights and angles also presenting complications.

Solutions

Kingkraft offer hoist systems that can be mounted directly onto stud and partition walls using a wall track system that doesn’t require strengthening but can still take up to a 200kg weight limit. This system, which can also use a GHZ concealed hoist, will work well where ceiling heights are restricted.

An alternative option is to use a thin leg system which will fix to the partition wall but bring the weight down to floor level. This system enables us to use a range of hoists including the GH3 hoist with inline charging.

This clever system enables the hoist to charge at any point (excluding a wet area) without having to be returned to a docking or charging point. This is particularly useful in public buildings where users may forget to dock the hoist, leaving it out of energy for the next user.

Alternatives

Partition walls can also offer challenges for the installation of wall mounted equipment. In this instance using a mobile table offers an ideal solution, allowing carers to assist dependent users access from both sides.

Units such as mobile shower changing tables are perfect in this circumstance, and can be very helpful for users with uncontrolled movements and/or challenging behaviour.

A new alternative solution on the market is a floor mounted folding shower changer. This gives users the opportunity to perform height adjustable changing easily without costly and time-consuming building work. Being able to install it in a peninsular position also allows access from all sides.

Drainage

One of the biggest challenges to adapting rooms in public buildings is drainage.

A toilet is a key part of any assisted changing and bathroom so insufficient drainage or soil connection can cause significant installation issues. However, in these situations we can a Macerator to give adequate toilet facilities, whilst waste pumps can be fitted to shower applications where gravity drainage can only be achieved artificially.

Find out more

Kingkraft have installed specially adapted changing places for disabled people in a wide range of venues, including airports, stadiums, shopping malls, concert halls and listed buildings.

To find out how we can help to make your building more accessible for people with disabilities, please contact our friendly and knowledgeable team via info@kingkraft.co.uk.