Aging-in-Place Upgrades for the Bathroom

Many homeowners who are retired or intending to retire discover that staying there and renovating their homes for simpler living makes financial and emotional sense. Bathrooms are, unsurprisingly, one of the most crucial rooms to consider upgrading if you expect to stay in your house for a long time. A bathroom remodel for someone who is aging in place differs significantly from one designed for aesthetics or home value. Focusing on the long-term function of your bathroom doesn’t have to mean sacrificing beauty and aesthetics.

Installing Grab Bars

The bathroom, with its slick showers and slick floors, can be a dangerous place to fall. And grabbing onto a towel rack isn’t going to be enough to keep you safe. Installing grab bars in the bathroom—as well as bedrooms, hallways, and anywhere where walking aid is needed—can drastically and cost-effectively improve safety. Grab bars can assist in sitting on and standing up from the toilet. They can also assist a person in standing (or staying upright) and safely entering and exiting the shower in the tub or shower. Consider installing many on the inside and outside of the shower (or tub). When most people think about grab bars, they conjure up images of something that belongs in a hospital (cold and metal). But grab bars are now available in a range of forms and colors to match your decor and preferences.

Bathtubs and Showers

Most bathtubs in American households are not easily accessible. For people who want to age in place, this is a major safety concern. There are various things you can do to make a regular tub safer for an elderly person. Three low-cost solutions include installing grab bars, shower benches, and covering the tub floor with an anti-slip coating. Bathtubs can also be renovated to make a safer entryway, which may be less expensive than replacing the tub entirely. There are also numerous walk-in tubs on the market that can be used to replace your current tub.

Adjustable Shower Heads

An adjustable shower head, which adjusts to the user’s preferred height and position, is an excellent method to make a bathroom more accessible. When combined with a hand-held shower head, the experience becomes even more functional. Using these two items in conjunction with a shower seat will make bathing much easier while also increasing safety.

Shower Seats

Adding a shower bench can help alleviate the strain of standing for long periods of time. These seats allow a person to shower safely while reducing the risk of falling. Shower stools, shower chairs, built-in seats, and retractable (or fold-up) seats are just a few of the options to choose from.

Other Considerations

For overall bathing safety and usability, you may want to also consider having the tub and shower water controls closer to the entry-point so they can be reached from outside the tub/shower area. Additionally, lever-style handle faucets make operating the controls easier for those with tactile difficulties. Having shelving installed in the tub or shower area will make it easier to reach for soap, shampoo, and towels while adding a light in the shower stall if there is not one, which will increase the safety of every bathing session.

Contact New Bath Today

Remodeling your bathroom with the future in mind is a wise choice, and if you want to age in place, you’ll thank yourself for many years to come for thinking ahead. When you want to upgrade your bathroom, turn to the experts at New Bath Today. We’re delighted to provide a full array of award-winning products from KOHLER®, including their first-class walk-in tubs. Don’t let limited mobility keep you from independent living. Contact New Bath Today and learn more about the fantastic products and services we provide.