Aging lifestyle takes on new challenges and adventures

Joyce Walter reflects on a recent purchase.

Wanted: One blue, fuzzy bathrobe, with sash tie or buttons. Must be designed to conceal body skin, except face, from the view of strangers. Will consider another colour but blue is recommended. Must not shrink in hot bath water.

In most of the television advertisements that pertain to walk-in bathtubs, the lady in the tub is wearing such a blue bathrobe. Ditto for videos presented by walk-in tub salespersons. Ditto for internet information for potential buyers of such safe bathing equipment. 

I had hoped to question the salesperson as to whether the blue bathrobes were part of the sales pitch — much like block heaters used to be an enticement for buyers of new or used motor vehicles. Alas, he was too focused on the serious business of selling the tub and the right moment for some levity just didn’t happen.

He didn’t even hint at a smile when I asked if he would give us a new pen or some tiny gadget, much like the Fuller Brush man often left with his customers. Again, not much of a reaction.  After he left, we did find the pen he had misplaced while taking bathroom measurements. We kept the pen, thinking it was the least he could leave with us in addition to a bank account that was considerably lighter.

And so, there it is, the focal point of our bathroom — a walk-in tub with hand-held and stationary shower attachments to save us from accidental falls while trying to get into or out of regular tubs. 

I had hinted several times over the past years that maybe we should consider getting us “one of them new-fangled contraptions’ that would take our bathing experience to a new and safe level. I was mostly ignored. And vendors at trade shows back in the day only wanted to sell us walk-in showers. Every time I saw that lady in her blue bathrobe, I would quickly alert Housemate in case he wanted to take down the 1-800 number. He wasn’t so inclined.

Then one day, out of the blue, he suggested maybe we should look into the prices and other details for a walk-in tub with shower. “But I don’t have a blue bathrobe,” I pointed out and got an odd look in return.

And so it began, the search for a reliable company to deal with over such a life-changing purchase. The company we chose came highly recommended and the salesperson was dispatched without delay, coming with laptop, videos, brochures, tape measure and two pens.

By the time he left, we had bought a tub. And we had one of his pens and lots of paperwork to read and absorb. Not so long after, with some logistical delays, we had a date for installation. 

The installer and his electrician worked to transform our bathroom to accommodate the aging residents living in the home and when the professionals were finished, there it sat proudly, a walk-in tub with shower, shining bright white against the walls that should have been painted, but heck, who could take their eyes off this monolithic tub?

I confess to having second thoughts when he demonstrated all the features and I saw the waves being generated by the back and foot jets. I could feel sea sickness coming on and I determined that I would not need that much water and action in the tub to remove dirt from my body. At that point, a wet washcloth was my choice over all the waves crashing against the tub.

But I braved the beast, sitting inside, fully dressed, as I read the instructions and figured out what each nob and lever was supposed to achieve. After mistakenly being doused by the shower, I re-read the instructions and decided I could handle a footbath with massaging jets.

With Housemate on stand-by, I ventured forth with water just above my ankles. I’ve been in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans to that height and now I can claim another notch — ankle height swirling water in a walk-in tub. Knees will be next.

But I still need a blue bathrobe!!!

Joyce Walter can be reached at [email protected]

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication. 

          
          
 


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