Hospitals are being encouraged to improve provision of accessible washroom facilities by installing ‘Changing Places’ toilets.
The need for innovative facilities is outlined in the British Standard BS8300:2009 Code of practice for the design of buildings and their approaches to meet the needs of disabled people.
For many people who need the help of a carer, a standard accessible toilet is inappropriate, lacking the space and equipment they need. A Changing Places toilet meets their needs and provides an appropriate, hygienic environment
It affects any new-build or refurbishment project and includes guidance on the provision of well-designed accessible sanitary facilities. This includes a new concept – Changing Places toilets - which it says should be installed in any building to which members of the public have access.
A Changing Places toilet involves the creation of a larger, better-equipped accessible facility compared to traditional versions created to meet regulations contained in Document M: Access to and use of buildings, which only address the needs of someone who can toilet unaided.
Each Changing Places toilet aims to meet the needs of people who need a carer to assist, and provides as a minimum:
- The right equipment, i.e. a height-adjustable adult-sized changing bench, height-adjustable wash basin, shower and shower seat, and track or mobile hoist system
- Enough space to enable manoeuvring for the disabled person and up to two carers, for a centrally-located toilet with room either side for carers, and a screen or curtain to allow some privacy
- A safe and clean environment, ie wide tear-off paper to cover the bench, a large waste bin and a non-slip floor
Robin Tuffley, marketing manager at supplier, Clos-o-Mat, which supplies Changing Places toilets, told BBH: “One in 284 people in the UK need one of these facilities, yet of the UK’s 2,300 hospitals, only eight have the ‘bigger and better’ accessible disabled facility.”
He added: “For many people who need the help of a carer, a standard accessible toilet is inappropriate, lacking the space and equipment they need. A Changing Places toilet meets their needs and provides an appropriate, hygienic environment.”
To help healthcare estates and facilities managers, the company has recently published a white paper: Provision of Changing Places Accessible Toilets in the Healthcare/Hospitals Industry. It covers the rationale behind a Changing Places toilet, quantifies the need to provide such a facility in healthcare establishments, and covers legislative and ‘good practice’ guidelines. It is available to download from the company’s website.