Transforming lives with Geberit

Ethan, who was born with upper limb deformation had for all his life struggled with his own personal hygiene. Then, a life-changing recommendation turned Ethan things around.

Ethan’s condition, which means ‘short arms’, meant that for as long as he can remember he’d had to rely on additional support from his parents in many aspects of his life.

Personal hygiene had always been a particular area of concern as due to his condition, Ethan was unable to wipe after he’d been to toilet.

Living this way had put a considerable amount of stress and pressure on the family and others offering support throughout his life as Ethan had become so reliant on being cared for.

Now at secondary school, Ethan was getting increasingly impatient to build independence: he just wanted to be like the other kids in his class and didn’t want to be worried about his personal hygiene when he goes into school. 

Ethan’s mum Jodie was eager to find a solution that would not only make the practical difference to Ethan’s life, but also ignite the confidence that he’d never had.

Solution 

Jodie enlisted the help of the family’s Occupational Therapist (OT) who recommended the Geberit AquaClean Mera Care as a solution to replace the upstairs WC in the family’s home. 

The OT knew the Geberit product well and knew how much of a significant difference the product would make to Ethan’s teen years and beyond.

Specifically developed for independent living and featuring an oscillating spray that cleans you at the touch of a button, the Geberit AquaClean Mera Care was the all-round perfect solution. 

The toilet was approved for install by the Disabled Facilities Grant scheme and the install took place in February 2021.

Geberit AquaClean Mera Care 

Geberit’s AquaClean Mera Care includes a host of functions to aid personal hygiene. In addition to the oscillating spray, the Mera Care also features individually adjustable water spray settings, an automatic flush function via user detection, remote control, warm air dryer, programmable user profiles – for multiple users – and a continuous flow heater for constant warm water.

Geberit has taken every ounce of its 150 years of experience, in helping to understand the wants and needs of its customers and put that into creating a product that can make a guaranteed difference to the way customers live day in day out.

Everything is designed with comfort and convenience in mind and the Geberit development team are constantly evolving and enhancing every aspect of the product to ensure it meets the needs of the customer. 

Richard Wheeler, area sales manager for AquaClean Care, says: “We were thrilled to be able to facilitate the installation of the Geberit AquaClean Mera Care for Ethan and his family.

“We know how much of a difference this will make to Ethan, giving him the dignity and independence to enjoy his teen years without worrying about this personal hygiene. Not only that but we know how much freedom this will give his parents, as they will no longer have to be worried that he can’t look after himself.

“We’re proud to work closely with the OT network and continue to do everything we can to support them, providing them with all the information they need about Geberit AquaClean Mera Care, the functionality of the product and what it can do to turn people’s lives around.” 

Future

Ethan’s mum, Jodie, adds: “It has changed our lives. Ethan has taken to the toilet quickly, and there has been almost an instant change in him.

“Now more independent, he doesn’t have to worry about reaching to try and clean himself and is much more comfortable going into school knowing he’s taken care of his personal hygiene.”

Jodie is now at ease herself knowing Ethan is in a position to look after himself, she continues: “He used to get really quite embarrassed, especially now he’s getting older, so it’s a big relief for him that he can look after himself and doesn’t have to reply on the family to help.

“He found the app brilliant as he knows how to hold his phone as it’s something familiar for him. He was excited when we put the app on his phone, well as excited as a young boy can about a toilet!

“We did have the opportunity to potentially get an install in the school he’s now at too, Ethan was still a little too embarrassed but who knows to the future. The future certainly is looking brighter and we couldn’t be more thrilled that we know have this product in our lives, it really does make such a difference.”

Find out more about the Geberit AquaClean Mera Care now.

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