Advice

Why might you need a raised toilet seat?

Whether you’ve recently had a knee or hip replacement, or just simply like struggle to bend down to sit, it can be quite embarrassing to ask for assistance when using the toilet.

Just like raising furniture, there is a simple addition you can make to your toilet which will help minimise excessive bending and over balancing. Raised toilet seats are easy to fit and can be removed if no longer required, after surgery or when moving house.

There are an abundance of raised toilet seats on the market, from a 2inch raise with arms to a 6inch with matching lid. So when choosing a raised toilet seat you need to ask the following questions:

Which height seat do you want?

In most cases, the knees and hips should be at the same height when sat on the toilet seat. A seat that is too low can be uncomfortable and more difficult to stand up from, so it’s important that you get the correct height.

To get the perfect position:

1. Measure the distance between the floor and back of the thigh, just behind the knee. This is the recommended seat height.

2. Measure the current height of the seat, and subtract from the first measurement.

3. The difference between the two is the measurement of raise required.

Occupational Therapists normally complete this assessment to ensure the correct seat height is given.

They normally come in 3 sizes; 2inch (5cm), 4inch (10cm) and 6inch (15cm).

Is a lid required?

Lids are a great way to keep bacteria and smells kept within the toilet. If the toilet seat is going to be used long term, then a lid will help it blend in better within the bathroom, making them look just like a regular toilet seat.

Are any attachments required?

Attachments can be anything from a toilet lids to splash guards or built in arms.

Splash guards - These help to prevent splashing and accidents which can sometimes happen when sitting to use the toilet.

Built In Arms - Instead of buying a separate toilet aid, there are raised toilet seats which have built in arms to assist when rising from the toilet.

Smaller aperture for children - If children are going to be using the raised toilet seat, seats with smaller apertures are available.

How simple do you require fitting to be?

Raised toilet seats have different brackets and fittings depending on the model. Some seats completely replace the seat and use the original fittings in the same holes on the toilet frame, others are simply installed onto the pan without removing the original seat.

These are the easiest seats to fit, they have brackets which fit onto the side and the front of the seat with rubber grips that secure the raised toilet seat to the pan. This type of fitting can usually fit a wide variety of toilet shapes and sizes, but check with the model first to ensure it is the ideal fit for your toilet.

Where possible you will want to go for one that has hidden fixings to minimise on bacteria and make the seat more hygienic. 

Following feedback from Occupational Therapists, Langham are proud to relaunch their well-known and trusted furniture raisers. 

Read more about the changes below, or click here for a training session for your team.

The Langham Furniture Raisers have been round for years, recognised and used by thousands of Healthcare professionals throughout the UK and Europe. But 2017 is a time for change, time to modernise, refresh and rejuvenate our range with the new designs being made from 100% black plastic.

So why black plastic?

More attractive design

After a multitude of requests from OT’s we’ve spoken to, black furniture raisers are much more modern and smart looking, blending into the home better and looking more discreet under furniture.

Improved infection control

One of the most important reasons though is to improve infection control. As they will now be made from plastic, they are much easier to clean and fully autoclavable making them ideal for healthcare issue.

Longer lasting in use

The new, strong plastic bars replace all the MDF parts so they are more resistant to wear and tear with every day use. They also feature rounded edges for safety and comfort when using and fitting the raisers.

Which products are new?

The change will be a rolling change with stock changing to the new designs from the end of September 2017 onwards.

Limited Edition Black Elephant Feet

To complement the relaunch of our Langham Raisers, we are very pleased to build on the success of our Elephant Feet by adding the new colour option to the range. It will give users a choice of grey or black Elephant Feet for their home.

The black raisers can help to blend in better with furniture, suiting a wider range of colours and styles to offer a more discreet solution to raising furniture.

Available for a limited time only, the black Elephant Feet will be available from September 2017 through to March 2018. 

Our new Black Furniture Raiser flyers can be found here and here. 

You can also access any of our images from this Google Drive link.