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22 Sep 2014
For fans of the BBC TV show DIY SOS: The Big Build you will be aware of the incredible transformations that they make to the homes of people in need. In an episode aired on 11th September 2014, we were delighted to be able to help out and change the life of Dave McCartney and his family.
Unfortunately, Dave suffered from a stroke a few years ago which left him with partial paralysis. Along with many cases of this nature, this led to his own home going from a place of comfort and security into being an inaccessible place where he was no longer comfortable. His incredible wife Anna had to become his full time carer and he was left sleeping on a hospital bed in the family kitchen.
The team at DIY SOS wanted to change this for Dave and his family. They aimed to make his home as accessible as possible, create a bedroom where Dave could sleep next to his wife and give him some of his independence back. With the help of dozens of local tradesmen and with kind donations from many companies, Nick Knowles and the team did just that.
Here at AKW, we were delighted to receive the call from DIY SOS and wanted to help out in any way that we could. So when they asked if we could provide Dave and his family with the equipment and products to create an accessible bathroom, we jumped at the chance.
In conjuction with Geberit, we supplied the DIY SOS team with a Geberit AquaClean 8000plus Care toilet, which would allow Dave to go to the toilet unassisted for the first time in a long time. We also provided the equipment to create a wet room from our own range of products, including a ARKA® mixer shower with care kit and a Tuff Form® former, creating a level access solution to Dave’s showering needs. When teamed with a concave basin for easy wheelchair access and an easy to control tap, this meant that Dave could be almost completely independent in the bathroom, a simple luxury he has missed for some time.
Dave and Anna were delighted when they were shown around their fantastically accessible home and in particular when they went into the new wet room for the first time. Presenter Nick Knowles pointed out that “this room seems to have hit you more than any of the others” which was clear to see from the couples tears.
The new bathroom will hopefully give Dave much of his independence back and will allow them to concentrate on being husband and wife more than a carer and a patient.
