What Is a Shower Chair?
A shower chair is typically a four-legged chair with rubberized feet, usually made with aluminum legs and a durable plastic seat (some models also have chair backs). It provides additional support in the bath or shower and makes it easier for the elderly or people who have mobility issues to get in and out of the bath or shower.
Main Usage
As its name implies, this is a highly specialized type of seating. Its design is optimized for use in the bath or shower, providing users with limited mobility and greater independence. It aims to help reduce the risk of slips and falls while bathing.
They facilitate transferring a person from a wheelchair into a shower chair. Of course, depending on the user’s mobility, this added piece of equipment is not always required.
Shower chairs are not considered Durable Medical Equipment or covered under Medicare Part B.
Types of Shower Chairs
While it’s true that the standard design features four legs with rubberized feet, there are a surprising number of different types of shower chairs available on the market today. We’ll list these just below and highlight their key differences.
Origin and Brief History
Shower chairs are a relatively recent development, with the first patent being filed in 1973, marking their creation. The initial design was little more than a wheelchair with the wheels removed and replaced by rubberized feet.
Since then, manufacturers have taken advantage of advances in materials sciences to change and improve the design, ultimately morphing into the various types of shower chairs we see today.