Disabled Facilities Grant - Non-Slip Options that are nice

hilsflynn

We are shortly going to receive a DFG for a wheelchair lift, accessible bathroom, access ramps etc. etc for my 3 year old son. We are struggling to get any decent advice on what alternatives to the 'bog standard' altro marine flooring for the bathroom, and concrete access ramps to the front and back doors there are which will provide the required non-slip. We are lucky enough to be able to afford to put a little more money towards it, but can't find any information out. When I ask our OT, she just gives us a look as if to say ' when you have a disability there are certain things you just have to accept'. I don't see why.

What have other people used? Do the non-slip surface treatments that you can buy work? I don't particularly like the look of altro-marine for a domestic setting - but I have heard/read that it is dreadful to keep clean. Is that true?

Any help and advice is gratefully received.

mafala

We're just about to get a level access shower put in through the DFG and I'm dealing with the contractor directly. The OT is not involved anymore as the works have been approved. It's with the contractor you should discuss what you can put in. We don't want the 'bog standard' either and are happy to put money towards getting something that we like. I think that look from the OT was probably 'don't ask me, that's not part of my job'. Good luck with it.

Hymerkar

Hi, over several years, I have moved house 3 times and had a DFG at each house. I must add that I had genuine reasons for having to move, not just because I wanted a change!

Each time I have negotiated with the contractor to pay for additional work to my spec or choice. For example, rather than the bog standard white tiles I have chosen and paid for my own tiles, the builder has then deducted what he would have paid for the white tiles. No charge for fitting because it was the same as fitting the white tiles.

Just have a chat with the contractor once you are assigned one.

Good luck

Karen

Hymerkar

I forgot to add, that I have got Altro Classic (the one with shiny bits in) in my current wet room and it is not easy to keep clean. It wears the mop out no matter what mop I buy and it gets black in the shower. I have to poor neat cleaner on it and scrub with brush then rinse with the shower head. The half of the bathroom where we walk dosent really get dirty, its just in the wet area. Having said that, it is much better than the so called none slip tiles, they are the ones with 9 little raised squares on them. They were NOT none slip to me. Nobody else slipped on them, but I did and they were a nightmare to clean. Mine were cream and the only way to keep them cream was with bleach. The area where we walked was constantly grubby looking, so much so we bought a non slip carpet mat which covered that side of the wet room. Hope my experience helps, Karen

Izzy17

There are some great pieces of advice and tips here , so thank you everyone - these are great!! I have already bookmarked this page! I’m actually on here because I’m currently helping my sister with her new bathroom. Very sadly my nephew was recently in an accident which has caused him to have reduced movability, luckily he’s slowly on the road to recovery at home but my sister wants to install a few assistance devices so she can help look after him as best she can. Basically I was wondering if there was any specific bathroom alterations that needed to be made in order to accommodate this? I know for example that she is getting a special assisted bath with a seat with adjustable height, is there any special tiling or flooring that is needed for this? I know she’s getting the bath from a company called Abacus ( this is the kind of bath she’s getting: http://www.abacushealthcare.co.uk/aquanova-baths/ ). I don’t know if that helps with providing any more information at all? Will my sister need to plan anything differently to accommodate the bath or will it just be a case of simply installing it? I’d be ever so grateful if anyone could provide some insight here, it would be such a big help to us both! Thank you everyone!

Izzy17

There are some great pieces of advice and tips here , so thank you everyone - these are great!! I have already bookmarked this page! I’m actually on here because I’m currently helping my sister with her new bathroom. Very sadly my nephew was recently in an accident which has caused him to have reduced movability, luckily he’s slowly on the road to recovery at home but my sister wants to install a few assistance devices so she can help look after him as best she can. Basically I was wondering if there was any specific bathroom alterations that needed to be made in order to accommodate this? I know for example that she is getting a special assisted bath with a seat with adjustable height, is there any special tiling or flooring that is needed for this? I know she’s getting the bath from a company called Abacus ( this is the kind of bath she’s getting: http://www.abacushealthcare.co.uk/aquanova-baths/ ). I don’t know if that helps with providing any more information at all? Will my sister need to plan anything differently to accommodate the bath or will it just be a case of simply installing it? I’d be ever so grateful if anyone could provide some insight here, it would be such a big help to us both! Thank you everyone!