Learning Objectives
Our learning objectives for this course include:
- The participant will be able to list three types of bath and shower equipment with clinical indicators for each;
- The participant will be able to describe three categories of patient lifts with pros and cons for each; and
- The participant will be able to describe when an adapted car seat is indicated.
Clinical Role
Clinicians play a key part in the evaluation team whenever DME is being selected. DME equipment is used to complete activities of daily living, and each of our clients has very specific requirements that must be met by specific product features. Most of this equipment is ordered through a durable medical equipment supplier. Their job is to collect documentation and submit that for funding approval. They then order equipment and deliver it to the client. Our job in the evaluation process is matching client needs to product features, putting together that specific order request, documenting the need for funding sources, and then once that equipment is obtained by the client, we may also be involved in training the client and caregivers in appropriate use of that equipment.
Bath/Shower Equipment
There is an array of bath and shower equipment that is available to meet our client's particular needs. There are many purposes for this equipment. First, we want to provide postural support to the client during the task of bathing or showering. By providing adequate support, we can prevent the client from slipping, subsequent injury, and even in extreme cases, drowning. The client needs to be safe within this environment. Taking a bath or shower is really one of the most dangerous activities that many of our clients engage in. We are dealing with water, slippery surfaces, and a lack of shoes or other clothing because we are trying to get clean. That combination can lead quickly to injury. We want the client to be as independent as possible in the task of bathing and/or showering. We also want to ease the difficulty of this task for the caregivers working with the client. The caregivers involved in showering the client are also at risk of injury. It is one of the more difficult transfers to get someone in an out of a tub, particularly with lack of appropriate equipment. There is a lot of rotation involved, and again we are trying to transfer a wet, unclothed person and that is quite dangerous for the client and the caregiver.
