All of us appreciate comfort. Eventually, comfort and facilities become even of higher importance. Speaking of renovation, the first thing most people have in mind is interior update or room addition. However, with aging, we need our homes to be not only comfortable but safe as well. When done for seniors, bathroom renovations require thorough consideration and a contractor with vast expertise in bathroom remodeling.
Thinking over the bathroom remodel for seniors, safety concerns to prevent accidental falls and trips due to unsteady balance and accommodation for medical equipment, walkers, or wheelchairs should dominate over design trends.
Advanced materials and technologies allow making bathrooms safer for seniors preventing potential injuries and discomfort.
For more comfort you can redesign the home by adding an extra bathroom on the ground floor. Even if you have one, you need to remodel it to ensure safety of a senior family member.
Choosing a senior-friendly bathroom interior design you need to consider a number of aspects, including dimensions and space for entering and moving in the bathroom with walkers or wheelchairs. Next, you have to think over the doorway size, shower edging, flooring (not to be slippery), easy-to-enter shower, and additional handholds to hold on to.
Spacing
Space is the key aspect to focus on while renewing a bathroom. It is commonly known that elderly people often use walking support or wheelchairs that require additional space for mobility around the bathroom. You can get an idea of the space required for comfortable moving around the bathroom: stretch your arms and turn around, then squat keeping your arms in the same position and repeat. Sure, the test isn’t accurate enough, but it helps to understand space requirements to accommodate mobility equipment seniors often use.
Showers for Seniors
Some smaller aspects that might seem insignificant to younger healthy people, represent a challenging task for older people and people with limited mobility. A small shower curb can become an insurmountable obstacle for seniors if they cannot lift a leg to enter a shower cabin — tripping on the curb may result in devastating injuries.
To avoid any risk for a senior, experienced contractors can renovate the bathroom and create a curbless shower. Besides, pros can recommend using additional elements, such as wall support, shower mats & seats, and adjustable shower heads to ensure safety of the seniors.
Additionally, you might consider how to install the toilet to ensure an easy-to-access and comfortable & safe experience for seniors with limited mobility. Quite often contractors recommend installing a bidet toilet instead of a traditional one. An extra grab rail next to the toilet is advised for safer sitting and standing.
Grab Rails
Wall support is required for elderly family members with unsteady balance. To ensure safety, grab bars are typically installed on bathroom walls, including the shower. Additionally, think about installing a shower seat. While most showers are designed for stand-up showering experience, a shower seat will serve as a resting place for seniors with unsteady balance preventing dangerous slipping.
Flooring & Cabinetry
Bathrooms for seniors must have non-slippery flooring. As of now, contractors can offer several solutions for bathroom flooring. Non-slip mats are affordable but important additions that ensure sturdy ground for seniors.
One more aspect to consider while planning a senior-friendly bathroom design is cabinetry. You need to leave additional space for wheelchair users. A mirror and sink should be placed in such a way to ensure easy access.
When it comes to bathroom flooring, ceramic tiling is the first solution that comes to mind. Yet still, it is very slippery and makes moving with a wheelchair more complicated, increasing the risk of a sudden fall. Dimpled vinyl, wooden panels, or other materials with rough texture provide a safer surface for a senior-friendly surface. Placing non-slip mats is also a good idea to improve the overall safety of the bathroom.
In general, bathrooms for seniors require thorough planning and keeping aforementioned aspects in mind. When you hire pros you can keep bathroom remodel cost under control: based on your requirements, the experienced crew will recommend the best solution for your unique situation, from senior-friendly bathroom design to durable materials to fit your budget
For more details tune in to bathroom remodeling tips from Groysman Construction, a reputable contractor located in San Diego. Skillful pros with vast experience in home renovation will offer affordable senior-friendly solutions for bathroom remodeling. Request a free quote and make your bathroom stylish and safe.
Thank you for mentioning the importance of ample bathroom space for seniors as they often use walking support or wheelchairs. We have a small space next to the bathroom that we don’t use, so I’ll ask my husband to use this to expand the bathroom space. After all, his mom lives with us, and I agree that she needs a lot of space for her walking support.
I’ll be staying with my grandma to take care of her since she has trouble moving around by herself now, so I want to get the house renovated a little to be more senior-friendly, starting with the bathroom. It’s good that you emphasized the importance of space when renewing a bathroom with seniors in mind since we should add enough space for mobility equipment around the bathroom. I’ll keep this in mind while I look for a bathroom remodeling contractor to hire for the job soon.