For people with limited mobility or certain types of disabilities, bathtubs can be altered and by adding certain types of bars and grips, they may be able to use a standard bathtub. However, for those people who require more than just an additional bar, there are bathtubs that have been designed with these needs in mind. The walk in tub is probably the best option for someone who is unable to get into a standard bathtub.
Walk in tubs are designed specifically for people with limited mobility and are therefore often the best option when it comes to installing a bath for the disabled. Walk-in tubs generally have a swinging door which is placed on the side of the bathtub. Aside from the door, they often look very similar to a standard bathtub but often with taller than average walls.
Some walk-ins are designed like a standard bathtub while others contain a chair-like seat. Regardless of the design of the tub, your main concern will be keeping the water in but enabling a person to get out in an emergency. So we will look at the two most popular designs for walk-in tubs and discuss the pros and cons of each.
Inward-Swinging Door
An inward swinging door creates an airtight seal and is also easier to open and close once inside the tub, making this the easier to use of the two options. Also, sometimes you will not have to purchase a device which will improve the door tension to prevent leaking. However, in the event of an emergency it is going to be very difficult to reach the person in the tub because the sheer force of the water pressure will prevent anyone from opening the door. Now, it is not clear what draining a tub full of water into your bathroom is going to help in an emergency but is is a factor to consider.
Outward-Swinging Door
An alternative option is the outward-swinging door which does not have the problem of reaching the person inside the tub in case of an emergency. However this option is a bit more messy since when you open the door, some of the water can often times land on the floor. Also, most outward swinging doors are manufactured in such a way that they are often times much smaller than an inward-swinging walk in tub because a larger design would not be able to withstand the force of a larger amount of water. Additionally, while in an emergency you will be able to more easily reach someone, if used incorrectly, you can end up with a rush of water all over your bathroom.
We would recommend going with the inward-swinging walk-in bathtub for the reasons given above. There are alternatives including removable doors as well as walk in tubs that can be placed in smaller spaces, but as far as the standard walk in tubs go, it seems that an inward-swinging door is the way to go. And whichever model you choose, be sure to take the necessary safety precautions as wet floors can be very dangerous even for the most nimble of people.