A new gadget at home is enabling a Muscular Dystrophy sufferer to stop feeling scared, and transformed a frequent, daily activity into “a delight”.
And, says former teacher turned disability blogger Rosemarie Lawy, it has revealed a hidden benefit: the security it is giving her means she now feels safe enough to leave her wheelchair and walk a few steps.
It takes me five minutes or more, but that feeling of independence! It’s only the few steps from the bathroom door to the toilet, but it is invaluable to my self confidence, and part of my exercise regime to retain what little muscle I have left.
The gadget in question is an Aerolet Vertical toilet lifter, from Closomat, which fits over her WC to help her get on and off the loo at her home in Muswell Hill, London. She is so delighted with it, that she’s even featured its benefits on her blog Rosie without a Ramp, which she runs, using knowledge she has gleaned over 30 years of coping with a degenerative condition, to help others realise the range of assistive technology available.
Before she bought the Aerolet, Rosemarie was relying on her wheelchair to lean on to help her get on an off the toilet. This was putting strain on her arms. She considered a commode, then discovered via internet research the Aerolet.
The thought of someone having to empty the commode horrified me. The Aerolet is a real boon. I keep my dignity. It turns my toilet into something more like a throne. It’s not got Louis XVI ornate carvings but for sheer practicality it beats any throne hands down.
The Aerolet fits over the WC. Easy to use controls in the integrated arm supports lower and raise the unit to the height required. Vertical and Tilt options are available, to accommodate people’s differing strengths and weaknesses.
A few weeks of use have highlighted additional benefits for Rosemarie:
I can adjust the height to suit according to my level of tiredness and strength at the time. I was scared about falling off the toilet before. Not now, it gives me stability getting on, ‘going’ and getting off. Because it lifts me in the vertical, without tipping me, I feel in control and secure. I chose the backup battery pack too, so there’s no risk of me getting stuck on the WC from lack of electricity- not that we get power cuts these days, but it’s an added comfort.
The Aerolet is part of Closomat’s brand-leading range of bathroom & toilet technology that is already enabling tens of thousands of people to live independently, in their own home, without care support.
It is complimented by the Vita range of wash & dry (bidet) toilets, height-adjustable basins, changing benches, hoists, and body driers- which help create a stylish yet accessible bathroom or toilet, that can be easily and cost-effectively adapted to accommodate changing user requirements..
The equipment is complimented by the most comprehensive sales and after-sales support available in-house, including site survey, CAD blocks, technical and white papers for download, installation, commissioning, and repair & maintenance. The range of Closomat products is detailed on the company’s website, so specifiers and users can easily see the solutions, watch videos on how the equipment works, and find out how other users have benefitted.
