Bridging Clinical Needs with Home Comfort: Reval’s Installation Feat in Swansea

At Reval, challenges are not mere obstacles,
but opportunities to innovate and excel.

Renowned for their assisted bathing range, Reval’s expertise usually shines in commercial healthcare settings, gracing care homes and hospitals throughout the UK. Yet, in Swansea, an unconventional scenario emerged. A request to specify for a domestic property.

This unique call to action, was one that Reval were more than ready to answer stepping up and working with healthcare services, a construction tram and architect.

While most of Reval’s installations are centred around commercial healthcare environments, every once in a while, a unique project arises. A domestic homeowner needed a solution that would not only meet clinical needs but would also fit seamlessly into a residential setting.

The Challenge

The primary challenge was the spatial adaptation of the domestic property. It wasn’t just about installing the bath; the house itself had to be remodelled to accommodate the practical needs of the patient. This required the integration of the expertise of construction professionals, architects, and occupational therapists, to ensure the environment was both functional and safe.

Solution

Reval’s Transcare Bath stood out as the most suitable clinical and safe option. The assisted bathing product is designed not only to aid in posture management but also to address the clinical condition of the householder. It’s a highly versatile bathing system, perfectly designed for patients with compromised posture control. One of its standout features is the vertical-raise side door, facilitating effortless patient access. This feature not only enhances the patient’s comfort but ensures caregivers can assist without undue strain, thanks to its high-low function. Furthermore, the Transcare system boasts a unique tilting mechanism. This function allows patients, even those with the most challenging conditions, to semi-recline, ensuring they can be fully immersed up to their necks in water, promoting relaxation and therapeutic benefits.

A thorough site survey was conducted, which emphasised the need for significant house modification to ensure a flawless installation. In partnership with the construction team and architect, Reval conceptualised a plan which allowed for the Transcare Bath to be safely hoisted through an upstairs window. The entire installation process was completed within a day, which included a thorough training session for the family and caregivers.

 

Care Home Bathing Is More Than Just A Function

Leaders in assisted bathing solutions, Reval has always maintained one single working philosophy ‘To cultivate deep empathy for customers needs to provide and delight them with positive dignified and life-changing solutions.’

As pioneers in innovative assisted bathing design and manufacturing, Reval are now leading the way in health and hygiene technology. Very much the innovators, from design to manufacture, outstanding products are produced to deliver premium value and regulatory assurances.

Providing greater patient safety, maximum ease of use and accessibility for carers, and an unsurpassed end-user bathing experience, always drives this commitment.

Compromise isn’t in the company’s vocabulary, which is why Reval are so often selected to work with the countries leading luxury elderly care providers, such as Ashmere Homes.

When it comes to adaptation design Reval Continuing Care is a good fit

Providing a good fit isn’t just about the working relationship between Adaptation Design Ltd and Reval, it’s about providing a good fit of assistive technology for creating enabling domestic living environments.

Working with the OT team at Adaptation Design, Reval assist in improving the living environment of clients though the design and specification of discrete ceiling track hoist systems.

Chris Prescott, National Sales Manager at Reval says: “Freedom in your own home is very important no matter your ability or capacity to perform everyday functional mobility tasks. People with disabilities live a very different life to you and me, with this in mind we apply our in depth knowledge, and their wants and needs, to enable functional interaction with their home environment.”

David Goodheart Senior says: “We specialise in home adaptation projects for people with disabilities. Many people with disabilities find themselves having to make home life compromises. For us, our aim is to recommend and install the appropriate interventions to ensure that a person is enabled in their environment to access their bathroom, toilet or kitchen in a safe and easy manner.

“Helping us achieve this is Reval. Their knowledge when specifying a ceiling track hoist system is second to none. They genuinely care about providing the very best solution for our clients. We can’t thank them enough for their professional consideration and dedication to good design when creating a functional environment for our clients.”

Exceptional freedom of movement is the result Reval are focussed on achieving. 

Chris continues: “Specifying smooth, comfortable and discreet ceiling track hoist systems is the goal for us. There is nothing better than working with a good design team, such as Adaptation Design, to provide clients and their care team with a greatly improved domestic environment.

“Reval understands the level of functional detail Adaptation Design are looking to achieve. This is why we put a lot of detail and effort into our site surveys prior to the design proposal. We take time to discuss with the OT team to ensure any installation meets the client’s expectations and delivers more freedom than ever experienced before.”

Reval provide a wide range of ceiling track solutions designed to meet every patient transfer requirement in the home care setting. These range from simple single-track installations, to recessed rail multi-room connecting systems. All these systems can be enhanced with integrated digital weigh scales, in track charging and the exclusive remote control pod and track locks for physio work and exercise.

Reval’s vision is to transform the lives of those people living with health and mobility challenges by promoting solutions that focus on the safe dignified needs of each individual and the overall impact on their sustainable well-being.

Check out Reval Wellbeing solutions here

WCS Newlands Care Home

What does maintaining the ability to have a bath mean to you?

Newlands, part of Warwickshire-based charity WCS Care, believes your life doesn’t have to change when you move into a care home.

Enabling people to continue enjoying what they’ve always done and having the opportunity to try new things is an overriding philosophy of care where freedom, choice and dignity are paramount.

Being able to bathe is an essential part of maintaining a routine of normality – for many with reducing functional decline and change, bathing can be one of the first areas of an individual’s routine that become affected.

We spoke to Bonnie Burbury, Home Manager at Newlands in Kenilworth, about the importance of enabling a ‘normal’ routine, especially when it comes to bathing. “It is really important to us that we create a homely, inviting atmosphere and promote WCS Care’s values along the way. Our ambition is to make every day well lived for each and every person in our care. Personal care can sometimes seem daunting for residents, so to be able to offer a comfortable, relaxing environment with facilities such as the Reval Cocoon Ergo bath is great – it increases the length of time a person may spend in the bath; beneficial for both personal hygiene and wellbeing. There are a lot of physical benefits too – with Multiple Sclerosis for example, or conditions that affect muscles, being able to soak in the bath may relax or stimulate muscles and have a positive impact.

Spurr House Short Stay Services

Most of us will agree that the psychological and physiological benefits of bathing are enormous yet the majority of us with the capacity to bath independently take this for granted.

Imagine being bedbound and never experiencing the relaxation and rejuvenation of tip to toe cleanliness, being immersed in a warm bath, or just standing in the shower aware of every comforting drop touching your body.

For many receiving care in an acute or community setting just imagining that experience is all they can hope. Bathing for them is Assisted Bathing, which means carer intervention is required to perform the basics of a personal hygiene routine rather than that of a much more personal experience.

But thanks to the expert team of assisted bathing designers and manufacturers at Reval, personal hygiene wellbeing has become a reality for the customers of Bury based community care provider Persona Care & Support.

We interviewed Eddie Cheung – Head of Operations (Short Stay) at Persona Care & Support, about the transformative effects Reval’s mobile shower unit, the Ruby, has had for customers and staff.

When you compare like for like with other products you get more for your money with Reval

“When you compare like for like with other products you get more for your money with Reval”.

Says Sheila Heywood Holt, Director of Operations at The Fed.

Background

Working very closely with The Fed, a social care charity for the Jewish community, Reval interviewed Sheila to understand what it is about Reval’s assisted bathing products that fit with the charity’s care philosophy.

“Reval products look nice, fit in, and importantly the overall appearance is softer – for instance if you go into a standard disability bathroom it’s usually blue and very hard in appearance, very clinical. But Reval products really soften everything; in fact their product design is the deciding factor in how our bathrooms are designed. We now adopt complementary interior treatments such as flooring, wall coverings etc. – preferring softer more homely colours such as pink tones.

A product to have faith in.

“How our bathrooms look is very important, but reliability is a big question. We’ve had reliability issues with other manufacturers whose products simply couldn’t handle the rigors of continuous use. We’ve experienced so-called commercial grade products that were really little more than domestic grade, and when they did fail us we couldn’t acquire the parts for months – no care facility wants the added pressure of an out of order bathing facilities, its really not an option.”

“Thankfully this wouldn’t happen with Reval, but if something did go wrong or a key worker had a query about using a Reval product Reval couldn’t be more accommodating. From training staff, to the back up and support, the service is amazing. Reval know it takes more than an hour on a training course to become a confident user of apparatus, if staff are unsure or scared to use it they simply won’t use it. With Reval our staff know they can call them anytime to discuss – it’s simply a more personal approach.

Committed to ensuring that the people we look after enjoy as much choice and control as possible over how they live their lives.

“Ease of use for key workers and residents is high on our list of requirements. We have independent users and key workers who found it very difficult to use the previously installed models from other manufacturers. No such problems with Reval; independent users now embrace bathing, and individuals who often refused a bath are now happy to bathe. That’s thanks to the ease of use and the spa facility that offers mood lighting, Air Spa experience, and music – it’s a much more relaxed and therapeutic experience.”

“We had a lady on respite, she didn’t want to be here at the beginning of her stay with us but she very quickly embraced her new surroundings, so much so that she had a bath every single day. – something she wouldn’t do at home. Her son said to me: ‘your care is wonderful but it’s the bath that’s made it for my mother.’ Her family were so overjoyed by this positive development they wanted a Reval bath installed at home.

“The change was purely down to a preservation of dignity. The Reval Transcare really helped with this, the height and tilt function allows for the whole body to be submerged like you would at home without being visible to the key worker. This sensitivity towards the users is the main reason why many people now want a bath, they aren’t scared of it.”

Nobody can look after mum like you can look after mum. 

“We offer something not offered elsewhere. From our dining experience to activities, the bathing is simply an extension of how we care, an extension of our exceptional facilities.

It’s so easy to tell people about the quality of the Reval baths, pleasing to the eye and easy to use, they look like and feel like a bath you would have at home, we really appreciate the warm and positive feeling they provide everyone who uses them.”

 

CJ Occupational Therapy

Safe patient handling receives a Thumbs Up from CJ Occupational Therapy

Background

When CJ Occupational Therapy required a reliable and discreet ceiling hoist system they approached Reval Continuing Care for an integrated solution.

 Jackie Waller owner of CJ Occupational Therapy and qualified Occupational Therapist says “We deal with patients who require adaptions and specialist equipment in their own homes. The requirement for effective and comfortable lifting equipment is essential, but equally so how it looks.

“You cannot under estimate how complicated it can be to specify a hoist system that allows for exceptional freedom of movement. Chris Prescott of Reval is absolutely worth his weight in gold when it comes to specifiying ceiling hoists for smooth integration into just about any setting, domestic or otherwise. You know your in safe hands with Reval.”

Persona Care & Support

Reval helps meet diverse community needs

Background

When we think of day care services we might think of coffee mornings, creative activities, or physically focused activities such as mild forms of exercise, but perhaps no one would think you could receive a spa bathing experience.

This was the vision of Bury based Persona Care & Support, a provider of flexible social care community services, to further support and provide varied activities for the needs of the young and elderly with learning or physical disabilities.

With a vision and commitment to offering day care from a person-centred basis, Persona approached assisted bathing specialists Reval Continuing Care to help them offer the relaxation and luxury of a fully immersed bath in a safe and relaxed environment, something akin to that of a home spa experience.

Debra Guider, operations director at Persona Care & Support says:

“We support the many diverse needs of the community but recognised the gap in the market for home from home facilities, especially when it comes to bathing. What could be better than relaxing in a warm, cosy bath? That’s really what we wanted to offer, a place of calm and sanctuary, where an individual can bathe either supported by a family member or a carer, where the equipment enables them rather than hindering them.”

Beverley Parklands

Installing Confidence Across the Care Sector

Background

Installing confidence across the care sector is Reval Continuing Care as it innovates the latest in bathing systems ensuring the health, wellbeing and safety of people receiving care is maximised.

Known for Guaranteeing care providers have the right equipment, the company is well known for its hi-end bathing systems and solutions.

Building on its reputation and relationships with the care industry’s better know and respected care providers, Reval are working with premium care home brand Yorkare Homes to make certain the company is leading with innovation whilst meeting compliance requirements.