The Tub King Blog - Tub Talk: Walk In Tub Buyers Guide

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DOES YOUR BODY NEED A WALK-IN TUB?

Take the Test

By Kerry Knight

How do you know when it’s time to consider owning a walk-in tub? Is it decided solely by age? What about by type of Illness or maybe even injury? How about a loss of vision of just that you want more privacy?

Often times, when people come into our showroom they look at our Walk-in Tub models and remark, “I don’t really need that yet. Maybe one day.” Sometimes it’s because they don’t want to spend the money yet. Others just don’t want to admit their age or physical condition.

Wouldn’t it be nice if there were a way to objectively know when it's time to get a walk-in tub? Well, we have developed a questionnaire that makes the decision process much easier than just guessing. Take a couple of minutes to answer these questions and evaluate whether or not your body and mind could really benefit from the use of a Walk-in Tub.

DO YOU HAVE TROUBLE GETTING INTO AND OUT OF YOUR EXISTING TUB? This might well be the number one reason most are in need of the Walk-in Tub. As we age, our knees and joints are not as fluid as they once were. Stepping over the side of a tub that could be as much as an 18 inch hurdle becomes a real challenge. The Walk-in Tub has a very slight 6 inch step up to enter, plus a solid structure to hold onto while doing so.
HAVE YOU FALLEN RECENTLY? Every year, one third of the population aged 65 to 69 will take a serious fall. Two hundred of these falls will result in a hip fracture. The Walk-in Tub is designed to eliminate falls in the bathroom. The slip resistant floor of the tub, the interior grab bar, the solid tub construction, and the low entry threshold all work together to create an atmosphere of safety.

Tub King Walk in Tub Testimonial

ARE YOU AT THE POINT WHERE SOMEONE ELSE HAS TO BATHE YOU? We all love our independence. We want to do for ourselves, especially when it comes to taking a bath. Those who require others to wash their bodies feel a sense of loss of pride and dignity. The Walk-in Tub allows you to take a bath without someone else having to be involved in this private part of your life. It is one of the real highlights of owning a Walk-in Tub.
HAVE YOU RECENTLY HAD SURGERY THAT REQUIRES SOME REHAB? Talk to anyone who has gone through a loss of motion injury or surgery and they’ll tell you how painful and difficult the rehab process can be. The air jet hydrotherapy system that comes with the Walk in Tub can help greatly in the healing process, pain relief and stimulating the circulation. Water therapy has been used for millenniums for this very purpose.
DO YOU SUFFER FROM TIRED ACHING MUSCLES? Whether you have had an injury to the back, knees, neck or any other part of the body, the Walk-in Tub can offer soothing relief. The water jetted system produces a massaging action with warm water pulsing against the area of discomfort and reducing or even eliminating the pain.
DO YOU SUFFER FROM ARTHRITIS, FIBROMYALGIA OR OTHER

Walk In Tubs can provide real
enjoyment and health benefits

DISEASE OF THE JOINTS? The warm water, hydro action and water jet action can really be a great way to soothe the joints and get you feeling better.
DO YOU SUFFER FROM STRESS AND HEADACHES? Just sitting in the soothing warm water can greatly reduce stress, neck ache, and headaches. Place a towel behind the neck, lean back, and go to your happy place. Push a button to engage the jets and find nirvana.
ARE YOU IN YOUR LATE FORTIES OR EARLY FIFTIES AND GETTING READY TO REMODEL YOUR BATHROOM? If you’re in that pre-retirement window and you’re getting ready to remodel your bathroom, realize that remodeling often requires changes to the plumbing and or adding/removing of a tub, etc.… You can save the construction cost charges by installing the walk-in tub now, instead of 10 years from now. The bonus is that you get to enjoy it now instead of later and save the future costs.
DO YOU LOVE A SITTING IN A JACUZZI AFTER RUNNING OR EXTENSIVE EXERCISE? After exercising, there is nothing like relaxing in a spa and letting the warm water, the hydro bubbles and water jets relax and help you get centered again.

If you answer YES to any of the questions above, you should really consider the Walk-in Tub. It’s a matter of choosing to live a better life and has nothing to do with age.

In this article I have provided a questionnaire that helps people determine if they should consider buying a walk-in tub. The questionnaire was developed from the many reasons presented to us by our customers who purchased walk in tubs. Answering these questions will help you determine if a walk-in tub is in your near future. Now all you have to do is pick the best product and vendor. We hope you take the time to shop our Tub King products. We offer a guaranteed lowest price and highest quality plus provide free shipping in the lower 48 states.

Walk in Tub Buyers Guide

If you found this article useful, please share it with your friends and co-workers. If you have a comment related to this article, leave it in the comment section of this blog. If you’d like to receive a FREE Walk-In Tub Buyers’ Guide, click here. Have a question? Feel free to contact me at the number or email listed at the end of this article and I’ll personally get back to you. It’s been my pleasure sharing this information with you.

Thanks again for visiting with us.

Alan and Kerry Knight are the owners of Tub King, Inc., and SeniorBathtub.com in Jacksonville, Florida. Together they have many years of experience in the antique and senior bathtub industries. Their companies not only provide superior products, they are also award winners, receiving the “Best of Jacksonville Chamber Award” three years running. If you’d like to contact them, call (800) 409-3375 or (800) 843-4231; or send an email to alan@tubking.com.

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The Danger of Bathtubs - Falling is a Family Matter

By Kerry Knight

Normally, purchasing a Walk-In tub is a family matter, not a personal one. Why? Two reasons. First, more times than not, the actual purchase is made by the children of the senior rather than their parent. Second, when a senior falls in the bathroom, the incident typically involves their children, because they have to take their injured parent to the emergency room, arrange medical care, surgery or rehab.

Very seldom do seniors in need of a Walk-In tub come to our showroom alone. They’re often accompanied by a son or daughter. There’s one personality trait that seems to surface quite often: too much pride. Many seniors don’t want to be perceived as being “dependent.” So often I’ve heard them remark, “I don’t need that yet. Maybe in a few years.” Also, they don’t want to be perceived as being elderly. I’ve also heard them say, “That’s for old people.”

While I can appreciate why an individual doesn’t necessarily want to acknowledge they’re getting older and are therefore less agile on their feet, let me offer some rather sobering statistics:

When seniors fall, hospital stays are twice as long then when the elderly enter the hospital for other reasons
Annually, falls are reported by one third of people over 65
Two thirds of those who fall will do so again within six months
Over 9,500 deaths are reported annually for seniors who fall
One fourth of seniors will die after complications from hip fractured hip surgery within six months of the fall.

Yes, these are scary statistics, not just for seniors, but also their children. The constant worry and concern by the children is very real, especially if the parent lives in their own home or apartment by themselves, or with another elderly partner, or lives by themselves in a facility where personal care is not around the clock.

Children want their parents to have a safe place to move around in without the fear of falling. The Walk-in tub provides that in the bathroom, where most falls occur. And especially when you consider that nearly all the structures in the bathroom have hard, unforgiving surfaces such as tile floors, toilets, sinks, bath ledges – along with glass from of one or several mirrors, it’s a very dangerous environment to lose one’s footing. Compounding this reality is the very likely possibility of having water spill around the sides of a tub or shower, which also makes one even more prone to slipping and falling. The bathroom can indeed be a dangerous place for the elderly.

However, the Walk-in tub, with its waist-high, easy access entry door, eliminates the most common factor that leads to seniors falling … losing their balance when entering or exiting the tub. The slip-resistant floor and seat, along with the interior grab bar, also helps keep them from slipping. The elderly can have a renewed sense of independence, without forfeiting personal control and privacy. Also because the overall design is higher, the likely hood of having water spill over the sides is lessened.

Other features of the Walk-in tub that provide comfort to the senior and peace of mind to the children are the jetted systems that massage the body and eliminate pain that comes with many medical conditions and just aging in general. Now, instead of being a risk-related activity, taking a long, luxurious, relaxing bath is actually a very safe one.

Customer Testimonial

Recently, a daughter brought her mother to our showroom. She wanted to purchase the Walk-in tub for her because she was afraid her mother would fall… again. The daughter quietly admitted to me, “She’s so proud and bull-headed, I don’t know if I can talk her into it.” Sure enough, they left without purchasing it. It wasn’t about money. Her mom had said, “I don’t need this.” How sad.

There is a Biblical scripture, taken from Proverbs 16:18 that says, “Pride goeth before a fall.” This may be taking it out of context a bit, but the point really strikes home.

Seniors, if you don’t want to buy the Walk-in tub for yourself, think about doing it for your kids’ peace of

mind.

In this article I discussed why many Walk-in tub purchases are made by the adult children of elderly parents. I also discussed some of the reasons why bathrooms are particularly dangerous environments for seniors. I listed some sobering statistics about the implications of seniors falling, including increased morbidity rates. And I shared some of the reasons why a senior may themselves be disinterested in a Walk-in tub, even though it would highly benefit them and keep them safer.

Walk-in Tub Guide

Until next time.

Alan and Kerry Knight are the owners of Tub King, Inc., and SeniorBathtub.com in Jacksonville, Florida. Together they have many years of experience in the antique and senior bathtub industries. Their companies not only provide superior products, they are also award winners, receiving the “Best of Jacksonville Chamber Award” three years running. If you’d like to contact them, call (800) 409-3375 or (800) 843-4231; or send an email to Kerry@tubking.com.

When it Comes to Walk-in Tubs, Seniors Are Savvy Buyers

By Kerry Knight

Portrait of Albert Einstein and Others (1879-1955),
Physicist (Photo credit: Smithsonian Institution)

I have always been interested in how people make decisions. Some people say that all buying is emotional and then is justified with logic. Others say they buy based primarily on need and only splurge when it’s a special occasion. I like to think that there's a large number of people who think things through logically and buys things based on their need and value.

According to Market Research-Elmhurst, when comparing the buying habits of seniors as opposed to the young, there were some significant differences which lead to some interesting conclusions.

Marketing Research with Tumblr (Photo credit: dmhoro)

For example:

Seniors save and invest more.
Seniors spend more on luxury products and services.
Seniors prefer one stop shopping.
Seniors are very convenience-oriented.
Seniors choose a product based on quality.
Seniors are less price conscious and deal prone.
Seniors use credit just as often as other groups.

One more I would add is, “seniors do their homework and make more educated decisions about their purchases.”

My company is in the Walk-In Tub business. For those reading this article that are not familiar with the walk in tub, let me briefly explain.

This style of bathtub is designed for people with mobility challenges. It seeks to solve the problem of falling in the bathtub. It is a tall, freestanding tub with a watertight door and a seat. It allows for independent bathing and offers many safety features such as an interior grab bar, slip resistant seat and floor, and a low threshold for entering and exiting the tub. There are also options such as air jetted hydrotherapy, water jetted whirlpool massage and inline heater. We talk to hundreds of seniors every month, and I have to admit, they are some of the savviest shoppers you’ll ever meet. And I mean that as a compliment.

What to look for in a walk in tub.

They have one important accomplishment that the younger generation lacks: YEARS OF EXPERIENCE. They are also not prone to being taken advantage of by silly sales gimmicks. We’ve heard them all:

“This sale is only good for today.”

“We are the only company that offers __________.”

“I don’t believe in the Better Business Bureau so we didn’t join.”

Our seniors will not be fooled. They have been there before.

BBB Video Series logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As a company, we strive to treat our seniors with dignity, offering a product that meets the highest standards of quality. We price it so that more people can enjoy the benefits it offers. We seek to make the buying experience simple and easy. In most cases, we can recommend an installer for them at an affordable rate.

In an effort to help seniors make better decisions, we offer this list of questions that any reputable vendor ought to be able to answer.

Our showroom

How long have you been in business?
Has your company won any awards for your industry?
What is the warranty of your product and can it be transferred?
What is the deliver charge for your product?
Do you offer a price guarantee and what does it include?
Can you provide us with references for the product you have sold?

Yes, seniors can teach us a great deal, and armed with these additional questions they will even be better shoppers. I trust in my ability to ask reasonable questions and past experience to make decisions when buying anything. Senior seem to do this better than most.

Our Guarantee

I know if you have read this article and you're looking for a walk in tub, our company will always be in the top one percentile of buying choices. Our premium quality, lowest price guarantee and free deliver in the lower 48 assures that.

Tell your senior friends to keep making wise decisions and don't let others tell you that seniors can be fooled so easily. It's been my pleasure sharing my knowledge and experience with you.

In this article I have discussed the decision making process, especially when purchasing a walk in tub. I further discuss how market research shows that seniors more often than not, make wise buying decisions based on need, quality and experience. I also provide a list of questions that any honest vendor should be able to answer with reasonable responses.

Short video about our Guide.

Until next time.

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WHAT DO INDEPENDENCE DAY AND WALK-IN TUBS HAVE IN COMMON?

By Kerry Knight

Freedom. Exactly what does it mean? Is it your

US Navy 080704-F-7045D-002 Sailors from Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan hold a vintage American flag with 48 stars, which was flown over Camp Eggers in Kabul, Afghanistan, to commemorate Fourth of July celebrat (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

ability to vote for the candidate of your choice? Or, maybe it’s your ability to choose your profession, or where you live? When I ask people this question, I always get a lot of answers. However, for me the simple definition is: My ability to choose what I want to do without others telling me what to do ... or worse, making me do things I don’t want to.

We’re coming up on another big holiday. This weekend will honor our national independence from a government that controlled our colonies with heavy taxation and an iron rule. I guess, in a way, things haven’t changed much, but let me stay away from politics for a moment.

English: Downtown Miami on July 4, 2007 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There is a tremendous satisfaction that comes with freedom. How can you measure it? The freedom to get into your car and drive from one end of the country to the other, visiting all the great landmarks that reminds us of how special, (yes special) our country really is. This weekend will be a great time to be with family, respect the American flag, and honor our freedom. Many have fought and died so that we can enjoy this independence from tyranny.

Now, for a slight change of subject. Today I turned 65. I am officially a senior. Don’t like the idea, but here it is. I will embrace it and live with it. Fortunately, I am healthy. I can still do the things I’ve always done … just a little slower. I do know, however, that health and mobility will begin to wane over time. Can’t stop that. I guess my greatest concern is losing my ability to take care of myself. I don’t want to be dependent on anyone … especially my family. No one wants to be a burden. I do wonder how things will be 20 years from now (I can only hope I live that long.) Surely new innovations will make life a little easier for seniors by then.

Tub King Awards

One innovation that's already here is that wonderful creation of the Walk-In Tub. In the past, seniors would take a great risk in trying to get into and out of a bathtub. It presents a hazard for anyone. Just this past weekend, my five-year-old granddaughter fell on the slippery floor of the bathtub and bruised herself. It happens to everyone, and seniors especially.

Safety Features of a Walk-In Tub

The Walk-In Tub was designed to take away the fear of falling. It's made for comfort, safety, and independent bathing. The door allows one to walk into the tub while stepping over a low threshold. There is a seat and a grab bar. The faucet handles, drain control, and hand-held shower sprayer are within easy reach. You can stand in the tub with plenty of sturdy things around you to hold on to. It’s perfect for seniors.

Benefits of Walk- In Tubs for Seniors

The soaker model is designed to allow a person to sit in comfort while enjoying the relaxing and soothing effects of the warm water. The hydrotherapy jet (air jets) models provide approximately 12 ports to create thousands of therapeutic bubbles in the water, creating a massaging action. There's also a heater available to keep the water warm. In combination with the warm water, these Walk-In Tubs definitely help seniors deal with the pain that comes with aging.

For many seniors, the ability to take care of themselves is an important freedom they cherish. No one wants to be a burden on their family. I can’t think of a single instant where a senior told me that they want others to bathe them and watch every move they make when bathing.

Customer Testimonial for Tub King's Walk-In Tub

Dignity is a precious commodity. It’s right up there with freedom. A Walk-In Tub not only provides therapeutic benefits, it provides freedom and dignity as well.

Things will continue to improve in the senior market, but for now, the Walk-In Tub is one of the best things going. It allows you to be truly INDEPENDENT and keep your dignity.

In this article, I discussed how the Fourth of July reminds us of freedom, and how a Walk-In Tub can provide real freedom for seniors. I further discussed how a Walk-In Tub makes it easy to take care of oneself. Yes, I also discussed the features and benefits a Walk-In Tub provides, but what's most important is how a Walk-In Tub can provide the freedom to take care of oneself and the dignity that comes along with doing that.

View this short Walk-in Buyers' Guide video

Until next time.

Related articles

DOES YOUR BODY NEED A WALK-IN TUB?

The Danger of Bathtubs - Falling is a Family Matter

Related Articles

When it Comes to Walk-in Tubs, Seniors Are Savvy Buyers

WHAT DO INDEPENDENCE DAY AND WALK-IN TUBS HAVE IN COMMON?