Toilet Aid Assistive Technology

Toilet aids typically refers to equipment that assists people to transfer on and off a toilet and also personal hygiene aids. There are many varieties of toilet aids (described lower on this page).

Community Therapy’s Occupational Therapists assist people to select and obtain the correct toileting aids for them with consideration to their medical conditions, home environment and body shape.

Types of Toilet Aids

It is important to note that Community Therapy helps with all aspects of bathroom and home modifications. The most common toilet aids we prescribe are:

 

Transfer Toilet Aids

Refers to a piece of equipment that helps someone transfer onto and off a toilet easier.

An example of this is a toilet surround frame, which is a piece of equipment that is placed over a toilet that provides arm support and/or increased height to assist a user to push up and lower down onto.

There are variations of transfer toilet aids that secure onto the toilet bowl or around the toilet pan and come with different features including adjustable seat heights, swing away arm supports and attachments onto the bowl.

Personal Hygiene Aids

This class of toilet aid assists the user with personal hygiene.

These can include aids such as toilet paper holders and bidets.

Community Therapy delivers assessment and recommendation on both simple, low cost aids, as well as more technical solutions, such as bidets that use sensors to wash the user.

Other Toilet Aids

Other toilet aids include:

  • Over toilet frame
  • Toilet seat raises
  • Toilet throne grab rails
  • Mobile commode
  • Bedside commode

Selecting Toilet Aids for the Individual

Toileting aids can be often thought of as quite a simple device or product to prescribe, however, it can be quite complex to prescribe a correct, comfortable and safe toilet aid.

The reason being, there are quite a lot of factors to consider.

  • Toilet/Bathroom Measurements: The dimensions of such will greatly impact what is the most suitable aid to go onto that toilet.
  • Anthropometrics: The user’s body weight, height and individual features.
  • Physical Function: Such as the ability to move from sitting to standing, balance – both seated and standing, back support
  • Cognitive Factors: Ease of operation

Our Occupational Therapist will consider these factors, as well as other assessments methods to prescribe the most clinically appropriate solution.

Toilet Aids in Shared Accommodation

This is another factor of why toilet aids can be a difficult piece of assistive technology to prescribe

Community Therapy provides toilet aids for people living in their own home, residential aged care, group homes and so on. In many cases, multiple people will be accessing the bathroom, which our OT will take into consideration.

We are mindful of all resident’s safety, hygiene and dignity. We would work with all stakeholders to implement a viable solution for the property.

Toilet Aids – An Important Intervention

Community Therapy believes toilet aids can be a successful intervention for improving safety and independence at home for those with physical limitations in particular.

Falls can occur in and around the bathroom especially relating to transfers within the bathroom. For an older adult or a person with a disability, strength and balance limitations can make it challenging to transfer onto/off a toilet, or dress/undress on the toilet, increasing this risk of falls and injury.

In addition to this, toileting is a very private task therefore maintaining independence both with transferring on and off the toilet, as well as performing personal toileting hygiene, is important in maintaining dignity and privacy.

Toileting is a natural daily task that cannot be avoided therefore it is important that we ensure an optimal environment to improve a person’s safety, comfort, independence and personal hygiene.

Bathroom & Toilet Aid Referrals for Community Therapy

To begin the process, please contact us or submit a referral directly.

  • We accept NDIS, Homecare, Short Term Restorative Care, Medicare, Private Paying, DVA and Enhanced Primary Care clients
  • We are mobile across the greater Hunter and Central Coast
  • Our Occupational Therapists are University trained
  • We provide a range of healthcare services inhouse