Long-lasting accessible shower toilet assists woman for decades
How long would you expect a piece of technology to last? In Mandy de la Mare’s case, who is thalidomide, blind with no arms, it’s decades.
The technology which has lasted this long is her Closomat shower (wash & dry) toilet. Looking like, and capable of, being used as a conventional toilet, the Closomat has integrated automatic douching and drying, meaning the user does not have to wipe clean.
Mandy commented: “I’ve had a Closomat for 42 years and am only on my second one! I only replaced the first one when I moved in 2003 after 30 years, and thought then that I had better upgrade to a new one.”
Mandy’s replacement Closomat was installed in the main upstairs bathroom of her new home in Bristol.
She has since had an extension with an en-suite wetroom, into which she had an alternative shower toilet and a Closomat ApreShower body drier, and the Clos-O-Mat was moved downstairs into a cloakroom to save her going up and down the stairs.
“With the best will in the world, the other shower toilet is more attractive in my opinion, and I didn’t want my bathroom to look clinical, which is why I chose it,” she added. “I still prefer the Closomat, it gives a better clean. I’m glad that the Closomat is downstairs, as that’s the toilet I use most.
“And it is easier for me to operate: I chose the optional touch sensitive switch, so I can operate the Closomat just by a little pressure on the pad with my foot.
“The rest of the family use the Closomat too, only they choose not to take advantage of the wash and dry features.”
The Closomat Palma Vita is the only unit of its kind manufactured in Britain and is developed specifically for disabled people.
According to the company, Closomats are the only brand of shower toilet that can be tailored with accessories such as the touch-sensitive switch initially, or retrospectively, to suit individual user requirements. Therefore, they can be adapted over time to suit the user’s changing needs.
The ApreShower in the wetroom fits into a corner of the bathroom or shower and dries the user with warm air after bathing or showering, eliminating the need to towel dry.
Closomat’s range includes height adjustable washbasins, shower seats (fixed and height adjustable), wall-mounted or height adjustable shower toilets, support systems for all requirements from paediatric to bariatric, ceiling track hoists and height adjustable changing benches.