Elevating the caregiving experience
Etac’s mission is to improve quality of life through innovative assistive devices, while prioritising user comfort and ergonomic working conditions for caregivers. The mobile shower commode Alto exemplifies this commitment.
Alto offers powered height and tilt adjustability in a compact, home-friendly design, developed in collaboration with industrial designers to ensure both functionality and aesthetics. For both caregivers and users, Alto simplifies hygiene routines, reduces strain, and fosters a more inclusive and ergonomic approach to personal care – enhancing comfort, independence, and ease of use.
Designed to ease the challenges of care
Caring for individuals with reduced mobility often presents physical challenges for caregivers, leading to strain-related injuries and work absences. At the same time, users frequently experience limited autonomy due to inaccessible equipment. Alto was developed to address both challenges, providing caregivers with a more efficient and ergonomic working environment while empowering users to take a more active role in their daily routines.
With electrically adjustable height and tilt, caregivers can perform hygiene tasks at an optimal working level, reducing the need for bending, lifting, and awkward postures. For users, the ability to adjust the height and angle makes the chair more comfortable and conversations easier. While the forward tilt function makes sit-to-stand transfers easier, it promotes independence whenever possible.
By combining flexibility with user-friendly design, Alto accommodates individuals with a wide range of needs and varying levels of mobility, making daily care more accessible and safer.
Creating a better experience for caregivers
Caregivers play a crucial role in daily hygiene routines, but conventional shower commodes often require physically demanding movements that can lead to injuries over time. Alto’s powered height adjustment means that caregivers can effortlessly position the chair at an ergonomic working level, significantly reducing back and joint strain.
In a care facility in Lleida, Spain, staff highlighted that Alto’s anterior tilt function was the most valued feature, as it makes standing transfers easier. This benefits both the caregiver and the user. The user can utilise abilities that would not otherwise be possible, and the caregiver can reduce awkward postures.
Its compact footprint also ensures easy manoeuvrability through narrow doorways, making it ideal for both homecare and healthcare facilities.
The Alto has made our work much easier. It allows for greater freedom of movement, which has made it indispensable for resident showers. It’s a great help in all the centre’s rooms, and we even use it in the hairdressing salon. Our residents are delighted – despite their level of dependence, the Alto allows them to actively participate in their own self-care.
MARIA ALSINET,
Physiotherapist, Residència per a la Gent Gran Llar Sant Josep
Regaining independence with Alto
For users, the ability to adjust height and tilt means greater inclusion and independence. With the Alto hand control, they can actively participate in their daily routine by adjusting their sitting position themselves, reducing dependency on caregivers and enhancing comfort throughout the day.
For Jan Böhm, a 28-year-old former farmer from Münstermaifeld, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany, who became paraplegic due to an infection, Alto has played a pivotal role in regaining control over his daily routine. The height adjustment feature allows him to maintain eye-level communication with caregivers, preserving dignity and autonomy. With the intuitive hand control, he can easily adjust his sitting position, giving him greater independence throughout the day.
For me, Alto is more than just an aid – it gives me independence, allowing me to adjust my position without relying entirely on caregivers. The ability to adjust the height and tilt, and my sitting position, means I can easily find a comfortable position, which is a great relief. It also helps my caregivers to assist me more efficiently, making daily routines smoother for everyone.
JAN BÖHM
Germany
Improving hygiene, comfort, and accessibility
Alto is designed for both hygiene and convenience, featuring quick-drying materials that prevent excess moisture from being carried into the rest of the house. Users have noted the significant comfort improvements over previous models, particularly due to the tiltable seat and adjustable which provide better neck support.
Additionally, its open design with 360-degree access allows caregivers to reach the user from every angle, ensuring they can work at a comfortable and ergonomic height. This not only enhances caregiver efficiency but also improves user comfort and dignity during hygiene routines.
The Alto has made a huge difference for me. It gives me the support I need and is much more comfortable than my old shower chair. I feel more stable, and it’s easier to relax when I’m using it. My caregivers also say it’s easier for them, which makes things better for us all.
ALTO USER
Germany
Designed for home and long-term care
Providing care in different environments comes with unique challenges. Home care settings often have limited space, with narrow doorways and compact bathrooms, making manoeuvrability difficult. Caregivers need equipment that supports ergonomic working conditions while ensuring user safety. In institutional settings, the focus shifts to infection control and accommodating multiple users.
The Alto meets both needs. Its compact design allows for easy navigation in tight home spaces, helping caregivers work comfortably. In hospitals, hospices, and care facilities, its smooth, non-corrosive surfaces and wipeable back support ensure high hygiene standards, while minimal dirt traps make cleaning efficient, supporting strict infection control protocols.
Meeting future care demands with innovative design
With the global population aged 80+ expected to triple by 2050, the demand for assistive products that support both caregivers and patients is only growing. Alto’s compact design, powered adjustability, and ergonomic features ensure that it is ready to meet these future challenges.
By integrating smart, user-centric innovations, Alto not only improves the quality of care but also creates better working conditions for caregivers, ensuring greater dignity, comfort, and independence in everyday life.
Key features
- Powered height and tilt adjustability reduces caregiver strain
- 360-degree accessibility
- Forward tilt function simplifies sit-to-stand transfers, encouraging user independence
- Compact design fits through standard doorways and over most toilets
- Ergonomic features improve user comfort and support
- Smooth, non-corrosive surfaces ensure easy cleaning and hygiene compliance
- 5-year warranty, with 8-year service life (1-year for battery)
Etac Alto
Alto is a compact, powered shower commode designed to enhance caregiver efficiency and user comfort. With adjustable height and tilt, it provides a safer, more ergonomic solution for daily hygiene routines in both home care and healthcare facilities.