Paralyzed Gunnar regained independence following bike accident
Sometimes life can take a sudden turn – around the next corner, down the next hill, or on a bike ride like it did for Gunnar. Gunnar has always been an active person, but on July 6, 2022, the accident happened. He fell over the handlebars of his bike and quickly realized that something was seriously wrong. After rehabilitation at Sunnaas Hospital in Norway, he rebuilt himself for a different everyday life – a life in a wheelchair.
Bano Turnable Toilet installed at home
To embark on life in a wheelchair, adapting the home is a central part in order to continue to be as independent as possible. Gunnar was introduced to the Bano Turnable Toilet, and the benefits it offers, already at Sunnaas rehabilitation centre. The toilet seat can be turned, the toilet can be raised and lowered, and it has its own flush and dry function. Practical!
It was also at Sunnaas that Gunnar learned that it was possible to get the solution in his own home. With the help of his occupational therapist, he applied for support from NAV (the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration), and he now has the Bano Turnable Toilet installed at home.
We have visited Gunnar’s home to see how the bathroom has helped him maintained his independence in his own home. Scroll down to the bottom of the article to see the video from the visit.
No longer dependent on assistance
The Bano Turnable Toilet has been developed through research, testing, and feedback from users and healthcare professionals. Both experience and research show that a customized and turnable toilet can significantly reduce the need for assistance with toilet visits and personal care. Most people want to be able to manage on their own in the bathroom; after all, it’s our most private room. A given for many, but not for everyone. The turnable toilet makes it possible for Gunnar to now manage completely on his own in the family bathroom. He is not dependent on assistance from caregivers nor from family members. It has been important for both his own dignity and also the family dynamics, Gunnar shares.
Available even in small bathrooms
The Bano Turnable Toilet is a unique toilet – it adapts to the user and the user’s needs, not the other way around. Gunnar’s bathroom was relatively small, and it would have been a costly process to adapt the bathroom to an accessible toilet with space to maneuver a wheelchair on both sides of the toilet. The turnable toilet seat on the Bano toilet reduces the need for square meters by allowing users to place the chair where there is space and instead turn the toilet to make the transfer as short as possible.
When Gunnar sits on the toilet, he can easily turn to one side to access the sink and the other side to shower. The Bano toilet is the only toilet on the market with electrical height adjustment, that is also completely showerproof. Due to this, Gunnar doesn’t need a lot of space to perform daily tasks in the bathroom, and he can do it completely without assistance.
Fewer transitions, reduced risk
Another important aspect is that a traditional accessible bathroom with large distances has been shown to increase the risk of accidents and strain injuries. With large distances, the need for more transfers increases, which in itself entails higher risks.
Gunnar finds that less distance between necessary support points gives him increased safety and confidence. Would you like to know more about how reduced transfers results in reduced risk? We have spoken to transfer specialist and physiotherapist Per Halvor Lunde, and you can read the interview here.
Gunnar’s bathroom offers a range of features that allow him to manage entirely on his own in the bathroom and maintain independence, freedom, and privacy. Would you like to have a look? You can see the video from our visit at Gunnar’s place here!