Keeping patients safe
The Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center (EIRMC) is a facility in Idaho Falls providing care to individuals at risk of harming themselves. The existing showers were a potential hazard to client safety. It was necessary to undertake a complete retrofit and remodel to eliminate potential hazards to patients.
Every part of the shower was analyzed to identify items and fixtures that could be used to cause self-harm. The team focused on anything that could be possibly used improperly—particularly because patients are unsupervised for substantial amounts of time in the bathroom.
Along with this principal goal, the team also had to consider the maintenance of the showers. The previous units shed water into the main area of the bathroom, so it was important any replacement option improve water containment. Finally, because of the small space and the retrofit application, a multipiece solution was necessary. This included a base, walls, and dome ceiling that meant quick and easy installation.
The result was an easy-to-install, low-maintenance, cost-effective, and—most importantly—safe solution. This new composite shower design, composed of a gel coat, barrier coat, fiberglass, and wood backing, eliminated troublesome drywall that required constant repair. The outside wall of the unit is sandwiched together—the same material used on the inside of the shower is also on the outside. Mud-setting the shower pan was not required, and allowed a fast and smooth installation.
The showers also feature an antiligature design—one of the most important aspects of the space. The showerhead is inset, allowing it to be flush to the dome ceiling, the light emitting diode (LED) light is capped in the ceiling, and the curtain rod features antiligature clips—every surface is smooth and nothing can be wrapped around any shower features. Additionally, the shower’s 45-degree opening has a low hanging curtain to contain water inside the shower.
The showers are easy to clean, saving time, improving longevity, and avoiding many of the maintenance issues that were plaguing the previous shower systems. Most importantly, the new smooth-surface showers provide a more safe environment for patients, and as a result, greater peace of mind for loved ones and hospital staff.
Honoring history
Changes in standard sizing and new accessibility and code requirements can make it challenging to incorporate today’s products into older spaces. Code requirements—which tend to become more stringent with each new version—represent the first hurdle. ANSI standards in particular can be difficult to maneuver because different areas around the country use varying standards. For example, New Jersey might follow a 2003 edition of an ANSI standard, while another state may have adopted a more up-to-date version.
Sizes in products have also changed, which means older bathing products, and the spaces in which they were installed, do not necessarily match the product sizes available today. For example, a tub being removed from a historic space could measure 1422 mm (56 in.) wide, but the new standard is 1524 mm (60 in.).
These issues are in addition to the typical labor challenges of retrofit projects. Demolition of existing materials can be a major problem in historic facilities. For example, concrete, one of the more common materials in older buildings, affects how old tubs are removed and how new products are installed.
The Catholic Diocese of Portland, Maine, experienced this challenge with concrete first-hand when it decided to retrofit two residential facilities, Stella Maris House and St. Xavier’s Home.
As part of a large renovation project at the Stella Maris House, a 48-unit low-income housing complex for seniors in Rockland, all the bathrooms were refinished, including the replacement of bathtubs with shower units. The existing bathroom’s precast concrete floors posed the team’s first challenge. The drains had been placed in the concrete and could not be moved to change the orientation of the new shower. Therefore, architect Richard Curtis and his team chose a shower unit with a drain that could be placed in any location on the shower floor.
Focusing on the strength of the shower floor was another important aspect when retrofitting the Stella Maris bathrooms.
“You don’t want to have just a fiberglass floor that can crack. You need a solid floor that will withstand weight and use,” Curtis said.
The floors chosen in the project included a wood core encased in composite, making it solid and sturdy.
