The concept of single-handed care is being given a new interpretation by the utilisation of assistive technology.
Traditionally, the practice focuses around the employment of aids to enable one carer instead of two to assist the care recipient. Closomat’s approach takes that a stage further- potentially eliminating the need for any care support, at least in intimate hygiene/ going to the toilet.
Closomat’s approach does it with style too. The Asana wash & dry toilet combines a wall-hung, contemporary styled WC with integrated douching and drying. Thus there is no need for care assistance to clean after emptying bladder and/or bowel. A choice of mechanisms enables the user to operate the technology with a wave of the hand or touch of a button.
In a ‘year of care’ cost analysis, provision of a Closomat Asana is 50% or better the cost of providing care support(*). Further, it is a capital, one-off expenditure, compared to the ongoing cost of care provision.
“The perception is that single handed care applies to moving and handling, the use of equipment to deliver a more efficient service, better use of available resources, in that only one carer may be needed in place of two,” observes Robin Tuffley, Closomat Marketing Manager. “But what about taking the interpretation to another level: enabling the client to undertake certain ADLs [activities of daily living] single-handedly i.e. on their own, without any care support? That, where appropriate, delivers even better use of available resources, especially if there is no additional financial cost…”
Closomat was the first company to introduce the concept of wash & dry (smart) toilets into the UK, (almost 60 years ago,) and has now sold in excess of 50,000 such toilets. It manufactures a complete range of options- floor mounted, wall-hung and automatically height adjustable. Full details of each version, plus operating systems, technical specifications etc can be found at Closomat’s website www.closomat.co.uk
Uniquely, Closomat is a British company, with its head office, sales, service and support teams based in Manchester; it also uniquely offers social care providers- public and private sector- a project management service whereby it can- in house- offer design and specification advice, supply, install, commission, and subsequently service. It is also unique in offering a commissioning visit as standard, to ensure that the WC is not only correctly and safely fitted, but that it is set up to suit the user, and they understand how it works, helping ensure stress-free delivery of independent living.
