“Stay off your foot and what ever you do keep your cast dry” were the last words your doctor told you after your injury of surgery? It sounded easy enough but after a few days you begin to realize that the only thing that stinks more than the crutches is you.
You need to bath and you want a long hot shower even though you are temporarily non weightbearing.
Most people don’t have a handicap accessible bathroom and would rather not have someone help them in this very personal space. Since the recovery will only last a few weeks or months, they don’t want the expense or permanence of upgrading their entire bathroom.
Here are 5 must have items for a safe enjoyable shower as you recover on one foot
Adjustable Shower Bench
You need a safe and comfortable place to sit while showering. If your shower is huge, a plastic lawn chair may work. For most showers a plastic adjustable showerbench will work. Since you will be balancing on your one good foot while sitting and raising you will want to adjust it as high as possible.
Suction Grab Bars
Look around your bathroom and shower and you’ll most likely notice there is no safe place to hold on to as you maneuver on one foot. Towel bars can be flimsy and easily pulled out of the wall if not properly secured. An easy and inexpensive means of adding a temporary grab bar is by using a suction grab bar. These work on any smooth surface or tile greater than 4”. They are easy to install and require no tools or drilling.
Secure Bath Mats
With only one good foot a stand on you’ll want to make sure you can trust the surface both inside and outside the shower even when it’s wet. A suction mounted bath mat adds security inside the shower and outside as you dry off.
Hand Held Shower
You will most likely find your normal shower head useless. Switching to a temporary handheld shower may be the most convenient and comfortable option. To add the convenience of a temporary handheld shower to your other showers in the home, you may want to consider adding a shower connector. Easy to install it will allow you use either your standard shower head or a hand held shower.
Cast Protector
To keep your cast or bandage dry you can attempt to use a plastic bag and rubber bands or invest in a latex free cast protector. Guaranteed to last the life of you cast, it keeps the water out while minimizing the mess.
With these inexpensive items it is possible to follow your doctor’s instructions to stay off your healing foot while keeping your cast dry, all while you enjoy a long hot shower.
This is a guest post from Tom Schwab with Goodbye Crutches. If you can’t bear crutches and can’t bear weight they can help. As the nation’s largest supplier of options to crutches they sell and rent modern alternatives like Knee Scooters, Seated Scooters and Hands Free Crutches.
