INDEPENDENT LIVING
Multigenerational Bathroom Appeal I
Comment by David Mosley Managing Director, Trojan Baths
n the UK today there are 11.6m people who are classified as disabled, with 5.1m of these being at state pension age (60 for women and 65 for men). By 2037, there are projected to be 1.42million more households headed by someone aged 85 or over as a result of our ageing population*. However, the houses that are being built at present do not always account for this change in population or change in living conditions. There is already a significant shortage of accessible homes in the UK, with the latest English housing survey showing that only 7% of homes meet basic accessibility needs**. While many see our older generations moving into care homes, only 3.2% of those aged 65 and over live in care homes, the remainder of our older generations live in mainstream housing, with 80% of them stating this is also where they want to stay in later life too***.
This is where home adaptations are crucial, to improve quality of life, with practical improvements that allow for the continuation of everyday activities, such as having a bath or shower without assistance. 1 in 3 people aged 65 and over suffer from a fall each year^ and with those aged 85 and over spending over 80% of their time in their home, these falls are likely to happen in their everyday surroundings, such as the bathroom. Multigenerational living is also becoming more widely recognised, with a National House Building Council (NHBC) 2017 report stating an increase of 38% between 2009 and 2014 of multigenerational households. Driven by factors such as financial necessity, the pooling of resources and childcare needs, multigenerational living means that many aspects of the house must reflect the needs of all those that live there.
*Source: DCLG (2012) 2012 - based household projections **Source: DCLG (2016), English housing survey 2014 to 2015: adaptations and accessibility of homes report ***Source: Lloyd, J. (2015) Open Plan: Building a strategic policy towards older owners London: Strategic Society Centre ^Source: NICE Quality standard QS86, Falls in older people, March 2015
Bathe Easy: Functionality and style combined H
ere at Trojan Baths, we wanted to be sure that we had a range that offered not only a safe product but looked great too. As we all age, it doesn’t mean we lose our sense of style or want a less aspirational bathroom and we wanted to develop our range so that everybody living in the home would be proud to futureproof their bathrooms with products that they know will stand the test of time – both functionally as well as aesthetically.
In relaunching the Bathe Easy brand in September 2018, we are looking to introduce a wider range of products that cater to all generations, focussing more on a beautiful bathroom that offers extra functionality for all users rather than just products designed specifically for a disability.
The use of silver and chrome is prominent throughout the Bathe Easy brand, with the addition of stylish folding grab rails, in a range of sizes, as well as vertical grab rails that include a hand shower holder, and practical products such
as bath seats and wall hung tilting seats, for extra comfort in the bath and shower. Our bath offering has been further enhanced with the introduction of the Marcella bath, which has lifting and manoeuvring capabilities for those with more specialist requirements.
01484 648181
www.trojan-baths.co.uk
38 BKU JULY 2018
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