Astor-Bannerman have helped to increase access within the lounge and bathroom areas for a busy family home in Bury, Lancashire.
Many disabled people and their families need to make changes to their homes such as widening doors and incorporating additional equipment in order to improve accessibility, safety and comfort. For over 20 years, Astor-Bannerman have worked with social services and adapted countless bathrooms and homes making life a much easier for the user, the family and often external carers.
The Lancashire home of Dawn Fidler and her disabled son Joshua Wilson is just one example of a house and bathroom adaptation which Astor-Bannerman completed which included the installation of a ceiling hoist and adjustable height bath with changing stretcher.
Brave 14 Year old Joshua Wilson was diagnosed with a reoccurring brain stem tumour at just 3 years old.  After lifesaving brain surgery, a 3 month coma and 18 months Chemotherapy Josh was left with complex physical needs, epilepsy, scoliosis, joint problems, an acquired brain injury & partial blindness.  Josh requires 24 hour care and wears pads which need changing throughout the day.
Josh is too big to lift by mum and without extra equipment, caring for him became extremely difficult which is why Astor-Bannerman were called to help. Here’s what Josh’s mum Dawn had to say,
“We chose Astor-Bannerman to supply a ceiling track hoist in the lounge for Josh based on their reputation for high quality and service.
They didn’t disappoint. From start to finish we had a fantastic and importantly a personal level of Service.
David designed the hoist to meet Josh’s needs along with the layout of our room, spending time to ensure it was exactly what was required.
The installation was on time, the team were lovely and as expected no mess was left.
Having a ceiling track hoist in the lounge now gives Josh more freedom, he loves just chilling on the floor watching TV, he couldn’t before as we couldn’t lift him up again, but now he can :-)
Thank you Astor-Bannerman!”
Dawn Fidler
One of the reasons the new compact design Astor-Bannerman A2B 2 Function Ceiling Hoist was chosen for the living room area is because it is so easy to use. It allows Josh to be transferred from his buggy to his favorite spot on the sofa so he can watch TV in comfort and stretch out his body.
When installed in a bathroom, our A2B overhead hoist allows users to be transferred from toilet, Changing Table, bath or wheelchair with ease and dignity.
The Rio hi/lo bath is designed and manufactured by our Gloucestershire headquarters team. While it is the same length as a standard domestic bath it has slightly wider internal dimensions making this more comfortable for the bather and with the addition of the height adjustable feature, it is safe and convenient for the care giver too.
The bath selected for Josh included a warm air spa feature to aid stimulation of his senses and our patented Neatfold stretcher. This bi-folding platform is perfect for drying and/or changing and folds away neatly when not in use. The family also chose the vacuum body support cushion to keep Josh’s body in a secure position for bathing and well as added comfort.
The rise and fall Rio bath has various additional optional extras including light therapy, music system and various internal supports.
To see how Astor-Bannerman could help with your home adaptation contact us today and make use of many of the free services we provide.
We believe that making the right decisions really can change lives!
