Changing Places Facility - equipment

What is a Comfort Room?

A Comfort Room (Komfortka, based on the English concept of Changing Places) is a dedicated and accessible space designed for people with disabilities and their caregivers. It allows hygiene and care procedures to be carried out in safe, comfortable, and dignified conditions. These include changing clothes, incontinence products, or even replacing a catheter. It is worth noting that such care rooms are becoming increasingly common in Poland, significantly facilitating the provision of daily personal care.

What equipment should a Comfort Room include?

A Comfort Room must not lack appropriate equipment. It should support the needs of people with limited mobility—for example, someone in a wheelchair who requires a catheter change in a lying position, which cannot be performed in a standard toilet.

Rehabilitation tables and couches in a Comfort Room

The foundation of any Comfort Room is a rehabilitation table or care couch, which enables comfortable and safe performance of all necessary hygiene and care tasks. These can be wall-mounted and foldable, with or without adjustable headrests. An additional optional accessory is a side safety rail. Comfort Rooms may also include rehabilitation tables with hydraulic height adjustment, which significantly facilitate care for people with disabilities. It is worth noting that such medical furniture can also be equipped with safety rails or an adjustable headrest.

Room divider screen

Another important piece of equipment is a privacy screen, which provides discretion for the user during care procedures. Especially recommended are mobile screens on wheels, which can be easily repositioned as needed. Medical screens can be made from leather-like materials designed for healthcare use. These are highly washable and do not require laundering. A wide selection of colors allows you to choose a screen that fits well with the overall interior design and equipment of the Comfort Room.

Toilet chair in a Comfort Room

A toilet chair is another essential accessory that should be included in the Comfort Room. It is intended for individuals with limited mobility. A front cut-out allows for more comfortable access to intimate areas, while a seat opening combined with a removable container allows the chair to function as a toilet. It is also worth mentioning that such chairs are often equipped with reclining or swing-away armrests for easier transfers and additional user comfort.

Stainless steel shower seat in the nursing room

A nursing room for people with disabilities is not only a place to use the toilet or perform medical procedures — it can also be used for showering. Therefore, it should be equipped with a comfortable wall-mounted seat that not only provides support while resting but also facilitates hygiene in intimate areas. The foldable design of the seat allows it to be used even in smaller Comfort Rooms without taking up space when not in use.

Additional accessories in the Comfort Room

Other accessories that support caregiving in a Comfort Room include grab rails for washbasins, toilets, and showers, as well as floor-mounted support bars. These are especially useful when lifting or repositioning people with disabilities or the elderly. Also worth mentioning is the tilting rehabilitation mirror, which can be adjusted to be used by someone seated in a wheelchair.

What should a Comfort Room be like?

In addition to the equipment described above, the Comfort Room must meet specific minimum space requirements. The area of the room should not be less than 12 m², and the width should be at least 3 meters. It must be equipped with a toilet, a washbasin, and a waste bin. It is also recommended that the Comfort Room be located as close as possible to the building’s entrance and be properly marked — both on the door leading into it and at the main entrance.