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Designing Safe And Accessible Bathrooms
Reports from the (AIHW) Australian Institute of Health and Welfare show that between 2016 and 2017, over 120,000 Australians aged 65 were involved in bathroom-related accidents. This indicates that unsafe bathrooms are a problem that requires urgent attention, especially for the elderly.
In most cases, the ideal thing is to move an elderly person from the home environment to a care facility for the elderly. However, this can be extremely costly and may cause other damages to the senior, especially to their self-esteem.
If you’re planning to keep an elderly person in your home, then there are a few things that you must adjust, and part of this includes ensuring that your bathroom is senior-friendly. This article will highlight what you need to know about bathroom renovations for the elderly.
Pros Of Elderly And Disabled Bathroom Renovation
As people grow older, they may become more dependent and require assistance in almost everything they do. However, it’s vital to ensure that they can still do certain things independently. This is so they can live comfortably and safely within their own space, even without any assistance from anyone.
It’s essential for elderly and disabled people to be able to maintain connections with neighbours, friends, and family, as it’s vital for their emotional and mental health. Renovating bathrooms for the elderly offers a lot of benefits, including:
- Increased flexibility within their personal space
- It helps to keep them close to family and friends
- It makes their space safer and more facilitative
- It increases their level of independence and comfort
Vital Bathroom Renovation Ideas For The Elderly
What are the key things to ensure when renovating bathrooms for the elderly? Here are some of the factors you should look at if you’re planning an age-in-place bathroom renovation:
Avoid sharp edges
You might want to include fittings to the bathroom, which are, in fact, very necessary. However, you must ensure that you don’t leave any sharp edge or corner uncovered when you do this. Check all the vanities and basins, and ensure that they have smooth or rounded edges, especially for strong materials. Also, ensure that the fittings are made from materials that require low maintenance and are easy to clean.
Ensure ease of access
Another thing that you might want to ensure is taken care of during a seniors bathroom renovation is that the bathroom and shower are easy to access. For this, you may need to make available walking frames and wheelchairs. You can also make life much easier for them by programming the bathroom such that they only need to press a button for water to run from the shower at a pre-set temperature.
Another thing to consider is emergency cases and how easy it will be to access the bathroom. A sliding door is a way better option to use for such a situation. Swinging doors will also come in handy, but you may need to include special hinges on the door.
For the door locks, it’s vital to ensure that even if it provides enough privacy, they should also be easy to break, especially if there’s an emergency.
Raise the toilet
When installing a toilet in the bathroom, ensure that it’s higher so that they can easily sit on the toilet and stand up. Most toilets are around 420 and 460 mm high, but for the elderly, you’ll want to ensure that it’s about 500 to 550 mm.
There are some toilet options that you’ll find that come with a backrest and pan projection for extra support. If you’re replacing the entire toilet, you might want to consider making the seating higher, as it’s easier to install.
Add a shower seat
For some elderly or disabled, it may be challenging for them to stand in the shower for a long time or even get in and out of the bathtub. In such a case, a shower seat will come in handy, increasing their mobility and providing additional support. Installing a shower seat will also make your seniors feel independent, mainly if you also include a hand shower to increase their comfort.
Walk-in shower with hand-held shower head
The ultimate goal is for the bathroom to be safe and comfortable for your seniors. Showers are generally safe for elderly and disabled people, and you can further increase safety when you make it a walk-in shower with a hand-held shower head. This will make it a lot easier for them to have their bath, even without assistance from anyone.
Switch to lever mixers
Lever mixer taps are a good idea for use in bathrooms for the elderly and disabled. This is because they allow users to adjust the water temperature with one hand after turning on the tap. Switching to lever mixers won’t cost you much, and there are different options available that you can choose from.
Supersize the switches
In general, the switches for lights and power points are primarily small-sized. However, for an elderly person, using oversized switches for lights and other power points will make a big difference. It will make it easier for them to locate the switches, even in the dark.
Age and disability safety features to include
When renovating a bathroom for an elderly person, you also need to consider including different safety features in the bathroom. Here are some of the additional features that you should consider, including:
- Ensure that there is enough room in the bathroom so that they can easily move around
- Add clear and visible labels for cold and hot water handles
- Include an emergency phone in the bathroom. Also, ensure that the phone is waterproof.
- Install toilet and bathroom grab bars to ensure that they don’t fall
- Ensure that the storage you include is easy to use. Avoid using low storage as bending down can be difficult for older people.
The most important thing to have in mind when performing a bathroom renovation is safety, and before you do anything, you need to consider how safe it will be for the elderly person.
Cost Of Renovating A Bathroom For The Elderly
Even though it may be pretty expensive, it’s generally advisable for older adults to remain in their homes rather than in some facility somewhere else. A recent study shows that older adults also like to be independent, despite the costs. You don’t have to wait until you’re a senior citizen before remodelling your home.
Remodelling your home before your retirement is also a great thing to do. Whichever the case may be, you’ll need to know how much it’ll cost you. As mentioned earlier, many elderly Australians die due to bathroom accidents. The total estimate for a professional bathroom renovation is between $6,400 and $11,000.
It is also possible to make it a DIY project and get materials for cushion or traction for as low as $3 per square foot. Examples of these include slip-resistant vinyl or rubber flooring. Alternatively, you can get non-slip rugs that cost around $10 to $15, a suction-cup bath mat for $5 to $10, water-resistance adhesives for $40 to $50, and anti-skip sprays for $20 to $30.
You may need to install a walk-in shower or tub for increased safety, and depending on the model you settle with, it may cost $3,000 to $15,000 for the tub, while the average cost of a walk-in shower is around $3,300.
Disabled And Elderly Friendly Bathroom Design
When you start to grow older, one of the most critical projects that you’ll need to consider is renovating your bathroom. It all depends on your preference and what you have in mind, but the entire project ranges between $2,500 and $24,800. Ensuring safety through bathroom renovations for the elderly is better handled by professionals. Unlike a typical kitchen design, a bathroom is often a smaller space. It will need to be carefully designed to ensure safety. Don’t hesitate to contact a professional bathroom designer who is skilled in bathroom renovations for different needs.
