RonA's Blog

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What a Big Difference


RonA

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I recently stumbled across yet another device that can make a huge difference in the daily lives of stroke survivors and their caregivers. This one is called Shower Buddy and it is a high-quality, well designed product that makes bathing easier and safer for people with mobility problems. My wife is one of those people. She had been growing increasingly anxious about bathing and as result my own anxiety level climbed as well. We were starting to dread bath times and our stress load grew heavier with each bathing. Dorothy was suddenly paralyzed with fear each time she had to move from her transport chair to her shower bench, with help from me throughout. I'm reasonably strong for a guy of my age, 73, but I couldn't help but worry about what would happen if she slipped or fell. Keeping her safe has been one of my primary objectives for the four years that have passed since Dorothy had her stroke. i considered several approaches to this problem, including a major bathroom remodel that would cost thousands and still not be ideal. I also considered one of those walk-in tubs but I had serious doubts about whether they would work for Dorothy. She would still have to walk on potentially slippery surfaces and she would still have to sit and stand on the tub's chair. After researching the Shower Buddy I decided that it just might be our best option. I showed videos to Dorothy and she agreed. So we bought one. They retail for $3,000 but we bought ours online from a woman who had bought it for her brain-damaged daughter but had never been able to use it. She offered to reduce her price a little to persuade me to buy but I paid her full asking price, which seemed fair and which I assume she could use. (I didn't want to add to her problems.) The Shower Buddy has turned out to be a huge improvement for Dorothy and me. It has a big, sturdy a chair thanks to excellent design and engineering  can easily be slid over the tub. She never has to get out of that chair. No more danger of falling during transfers, no more anxiety. Bathing is now pleasant for her--and for me. I wanted to share this with people who read this part of StrokeNet in case any of you might benefit from this product. I realize it is not cheap but I also realize it is a true godsend for some people. Be advised that the Shower Buddy is made of metal and appears to be of high quality. It is very sturdy too and is designed so that there is no wiggling at any point. Like the lightweight foldup power wheelchair about which I previously wrote on this web site, the Shower Buddy takes a lot of stress out of day-to-day living for us. And had we not stumbled upon it in the course of doing online research we probably would never have known about it.

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