Total Approach to Lifetime Housing

Within the next three years, all housing in England should be built to ‘Lifetime Homes’ standard, placing additional specification and installation considerations on the building industry, and social housing providers, particularly alongside the Government strategy of enabling people to remain in their homes as long as possible as they age, but developments at Total Hygiene are simplifying the process.

A key element of the Lifetime Homes criteria is that “new homes should be built to be accessible for all people, young and old, single or in families, disabled and non-disabled”, with a specific requirement being the provision of an accessible toilet, and it being ‘good practice’ to create a room from the outset that can be turned into a full wetroom in the future.

To assist social housing providers and builders in achieving the most practical long-term able/disabled bathroom solution for the long term by using one, expert source, Total Hygiene has developed a bespoke package that encompasses all key elements of a truly accessible bathroom, from grab rails to height adjustable baths, basins and changing tables, from design to installation.

Total Hygiene manufactures the only bespoke ‘wash and dry’ toilet that optimises accessibility, and can be safely sited within a wetroom, the Clos-o-Mat. Further, as the company has its own in-house service & maintenance team, the Clos-o-Mat is a ‘fit and forget’ appliance.

A Clos-o-Mat automatic bidet toilet combines ‘conventional’ WC facilities with integral douching and drying, so can be used as easily by the disabled or less able as the able-bodied. The user can use in the traditional way, with toilet tissue, or, by retaining hand or body pressure on the flush, trigger the washing and drying process to cleanse without paper. The Clos-o-Mat is the only toilet of its type to have WRAS approval, enabling connection to the mains water supply, and also to be certified for use in Zone 1 of a bathroom ie adjacent to the shower or bath. Total Hygiene produces two core versions of the toilet, the floor-mounted Palma Vita and the wall hung Lima. Both can accommodate a range of accessories including arm supports, paediatric supports, seat and douche options, to enable tailoring of the WC to each user’s special needs.

Total Hygiene has over 40 years’ experience in the manufacture of disabled toileting solutions, with over 30,000 units installed in the UK alone, in locations as diverse as individual homes through public buildings and shopping centres to narrowboats and tallships!