The present invention relates generally to bath tubs and more particularly to a bathing tub for persons with some physical or mental impairment which generally results in the need for a bathing assistant. My invention is particularly useful for persons with impaired ambulatory ability, obesity, inadequate or unreliable judgment, persons who are susceptible to a loss of consciousness during the bathing process, and for those who have the desire for a safer, easier, more convenient method of bathing.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that conventional bathtubs have a number of deficiencies in terms of their ability to serve the needs for physically or mentally impaired persons. First, it can be difficult for the physically or mentally impaired to get in or out of a conventional bathtub. Conventional bathtubs require a person to step over the side wall of the tub, an obstacle that may cause the physically impaired to trip and injure themselves in or about the tub. Also, the bathtub itself may have a slippery surface which is more difficult to navigate for the physically impaired, and non-slip surfaces and grab bars are often an inadequate solution for those who have minimal strength.
Showers do not necessarily solve the problem because of the danger of slip and fall accidents and the inability of sick and infirm persons to stand for an extended period of time during showers. Also, showers do not lend themselves to assisted bathing since the assistant would get sprayed during the showering process.
There have been several attempts to address the problems associated with assisted bathing. One of the primary efforts has been the hoist-type systems which involves placing the person in a hammock-like structure, hoisting him over a tub of water and lowering him into the tub for the bathing process. The primary problems with the hoist-type systems are the fact that such devices are awkward and dangerous to manipulate, as well as being dehumanizing and humiliating to the patient.
In addition to the hoist-type systems, there have been developed a number of side access bathing tubs in which the patient lowers or moves the side of the tub out of the way, sits into the tub, raises or moves the side of the tub back in place, has the tub filled with water and then engages in the bathing process. Problems with devices of this nature involve side door maintenance, and sealing to avoid leaks in the tub, delays in the tub filing process, having to empty the tub if the person has to get out of the tub before the bath is completed, etc.
Another approach has been to provide side access with a tub chamber that tilts for access. However, these devices as well as all other prior art side access bathing tubs cannot be pre-filled and the bather must suffer the discomfort while the tub is filling of sitting in a potentially cold tub during the extended time that it takes to fill the tub. Further, the tub surfaces cannot be pre-warmed by having the water in the tub immediately prior to the bather entering the tub and the bather can be scalded or chilled by the water as it is filling the tub or irritated or injured by undiluted additives added to the bath water while the bather is in the tub.
Practically all of these prior art efforts at solving problems associated with assisted bathing for the mentally or physically impaired involve structures that cannot be quickly drained and re-filled with the same bathing liquid resulting in a waste of water when the bather has to get out of the tub in the middle of the bathing process, for example to go to the toilet, involve dangers in egress and ingress in the tub, or are inconvenient to use. Further, these prior art devices do not deal with the problems associated with unattended immobility of the bather, loss of consciousness and the like that may result in drowning.