Family Necessity Spawns Bathtub Invention: Walk‑in Bathtubs

The walk‑in bathtub was born from necessity and familial love. Ladimer Kowalchuk, the proud inventor of the walk‑in bathtub, says the impetus behind the invention was his father, Nick, and his ailing knees. "It was actually my father's idea," Kowlachuk said. His father was a retired butcher whose knees had given out after many years of hauling meat around day after day. Overtime, even the simplest of tasks, like stepping in and out of a standard bathtub, became a painful and even dangerous challenge. Ladimer's concern for his father's well‑being spurred him to find a bathtub with a door. Unfortunately, no such bathtub existed anywhere.

Ladimer Kowalchuk, who had worked as a carpenter, set out to design a bathtub with easy accessibility so his father would again enjoy privacy and independence while bathing. During 1992, Kowalchuk created a wooden form for what became the Standard Safety Bath, a walk‑in bathtub made of fiberglass.

Nick was key in the perfection of the walk‑in tub design. He was asked by Ladimer to test and give feedback on the comfort and accessibility of the walk‑in bathtub model. As design challenges arose, Ladimer worked to improve upon the walk‑in tub's structure and usability. One challenge Ladimer encountered was figuring out how to effectively seal the walk‑in tub's door to the rest of the model. Together, the father and son team developed a bathtub invention that has now revolutionized the bathtub industry and given independence and security to thousands of people.

Today Ladimer is the founder and owner of Safety Bath, Inc. His walk‑in tub business quickly grew from word‑of‑mouth marketing, trade show appearances, and eventually Internet sales pitches to marketing overseas and across Canada. Even Tubz is a proud dealer of all the current Safety Bath walk‑in tub models and accessories.

As today's baby boomers and aging population demand accessible bathtubs, the walk‑in tub is a highly sought after commodity. With the installation of a walk‑in bathtub, physically challenged and aging individuals can remain in the comforts of their own home longer rather than needing the assistance of in‑home health caregivers or a long‑term care facility. Ladimer has truly given individuals a safe and easy way to bathe.

In May of 2007, Innovatix, LLC, one of the nation's largest non‑acute care group purchasing organizations awarded Safety Bath, Inc. the 2007 ADEX Platinum Award for Design Excellence and a contract providing eligible Innovatix members with a special pricing discount and is valid through March, 10 2010.

As for Ladimer Kowalchuk, he is excited about the future of walk‑in bathtubs and continues to deliver bathing independence and peace of mind to those in need around the world.