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Have you ever run into someone who does a simple, trivial task so differently from you that it blows your mind? When we perform an action day in and day out for years, it becomes second nature, and we hardly realize what we are doing, much less be able to articulate why. Getting in the tub is an action like that. We do it all the time, so regularly, that we build up habits that we don’t even notice, even when they become detrimental to our health and safety.
Now, the only right way to get in and out of the tub
is the way in which you are the safest. Some people will only get in at the back
of the tub, others only in the front. Some will have the water running; others
will only turn it on once they are settled in. As an access designer, I need to
know how you prefer to move into the tub, because I don’t want to assume
everyone does it “my way.” I want to be able to put a grab bar right where you
are going to reach for support based on your preferences.
There are times where I
will suggest a change. It is usually in circumstances in which someone’s
abilities have changed, but their habits have not, or in a situation in which
new equipment makes their old methods hazardous or unsafe. It’s never to try
and make someone do it “the right way,” because there is no wrong way, so long
as you aren’t in danger.So, share the news, and share the video. The right way to get into a tub is based on your equipment, the layout of your bathroom, your skills, and your preferences, and is always the way that makes you safest and most comfortable.
