Hi,

As far as grout goes, as long as grout is sealed it should be easy to clean, or you could use an epoxy grout like Spectralock that isn't porous and doesn't need to be sealed, but that is way more expensive. You could look for the coefficient friction ratings from the tile manufacturers for how slippery they will be. Also some tile are textured and that would help. The smaller the tile, the more grout, the less slippery as well. But one thing about tile is that if he should fall, it would be better to fall on a vinyl or perhaps even a floating type laminate floor that has a cushion underlayment, instead of falling on a hard tile floor. As for the grab bars, I would think it would be good to have a horizontal one at the sitting height inside the shower (2 to 3 ft long) and put one where necessary to help when entering and exiting the shower, which might be mounted slanted or vertical. They have some grab bars that are textured or have grips on them also. Be sure to put the necessary studs in the wall and measure exactly. 2 x 6's work well. Just some of my thoughts for what it's worth:)

We're putting in two grab bars for my mom immediately. One is vertical where she enters the shower and the other is horizonal on the back wall of the shower.

She's fine with small hex tile so that's what we'll use.

I'm also looking at a handheld shower on a slide bar rather than a stationary showerhead.

Also, I hadn't realized how much her walker dings up the wall until just now. I'd planned beadboard but now that she's been using the bathroom for a month I'm reconsidering a tiled bottom half of wall.

Thanks for these suggestions. I'll go with either vinyl or the small tile--I'm leaning toward vinyl because he could fall. He has fallen a few times.

Bluekitobssed, did you do a curbless shower or does it have a threshold? I'm concerned about how well curbless showers keep the water in. He's not in a wheelchair, can step over a low threshold so I'm thinking I'll use a conventional threshold. I'm also thinking I should use a shower curtain instead of a door because he might not be able to reach out to close the door once he's in the shower.

just something that may be a helpful fyi: i had surgery a few years ago which made sitting and standing very difficult. we got an elevated toilet seat from a medical supply that raises the height of the seat by 5". it was a huge help and it's easy to install/remove so if your uncle is just visiting for the day it's not a commitment. i've since passed mine to a friend who needed it otherwise i would have been delighted to send it off to you. (i was thrilled to get rid of it!) good luck.

I have Parkinsons and have over the past couple of years had to retrofit our bathrooms to make it safer for me and have studied the idea of having to gut at least one and rebuild it as my condition worsens. I agree that the most important things are the elevated ADA height toilet and grab bars. I write a blog(some 60+ articles of interest to the DIY'r) sponsored by a friend in the business and just in the past week have done a blog on the budget version of a handicap bathroom entitled "Ive fallen and cant get up" and the other on the full bore rebuilding of a bathroom entitled "how to build a handicap (ADA compliant) bathroom." I will place the URL to my site below. I also have them published on the DIYchatroom.com site.I would also say that the small ceramic tile would be safer and easier to keep clean than any vinyl. Think of floors in public restrooms, they cant all be wrong, and seal them well. Let me know if I can be of any further help my Email is open.

Here is a link that might be useful: My blog site

I just have a couple of questions.....Does his walker have wheels on it? If the grout lines between the tile is too wide, the wheels can catch, causing him to lose his balance. Also, please ask tile pros if the new type of grout being used nowadays is impervious to urine. I work in healthcare, and let me tell you, you always can tell when tile has been soaked with urine; the smell just never goes away, even with commercial cleaners. Don't use a shower door, just a curtain; less reaching involved. Showers that have no lip to step over are preferred for safety, especially if the disability worsens so a roll-in shower chair can be used. The floor is such a shower is gently sloped to the drain.

Do look at faucetman's blog and at other handicapped accessible design web sites, like barrierfree.org. They'll give you ideas, particularly about shower design. The urine issue is as much one of cleaning up promptly as it is of materials. You will need a grab bar by the toilet no matter what. Do try to think ahead in your design. Is your disabled relative's condition likely to change over time? Will accommodations be needed in the future that you should plan for now?

faucetman - thx for the link to articles. I am disabled and will be remodeling my mstr bath next yr.

not having read any yet tho...

I'm planning on sheet vinyl (low gloss) - they have some that doesn't need glued down. it isn't all that expensive and if after a yr or your relative has 'missed' and the floor is in bad shape you can take it up and replace it easily enough.

the higher toilet - yes plus a grab bar by it. in the shower and outside of it.
and I don't consider a 36 x 36 that big for someone who is disabled. that'd be my minimum size. you might also want a temperature control on the valve.

and at the sink, a 1 handle faucet - or a foot pedal.

I'm putting in all 1 handle faucets.

All fixtures like showers, faucets, toilets have versions that are ADA compliant. Please make sure to use these in your design. Toilets need to be a few inches taller than normal. Basically look for ADA compliant in the catalog of any major brandname. And a sloping shower is better than a shower with threshold. Your idea of hand held shower control and seating inside is good.
Also, I read that the vanity/mirror is somewhat lower than the regular ones in an ADA compliant bathroom.
One idea that I came up with was to fit that bathroom with an intercom in case the person using it needed to call for help. I am not sure about how to implement it yet. I am researching this topic too because my disabled in-law might eventually come to live with us and I want one bathroom ADA compliant in preparation.

All very good ideas. I've read some of the blog--very good information. I appreciate the feedback on tile vs. vinyl. Maybe I'll get the shower without a lip if water stays in the shower. My cousin was in a car accident 9 years ago and was brain-damaged. His speech and walking are still affected. His walking is not going to improve and could deteriorate. Especially if he falls and breaks something. I'm trying to make the new bathroom accessible to someone in a wheelchair, even though he just uses a walker now.

water will stay in the shower as long as it is pitched to the drain. shower with no barrier.

I think I have decided on vinyl floors and a 36x36 shower with no threshold. The shower will have a horizontal grab bar along the back and a vertical grab bar at the front where he enters. There will be a seat and a sliding bar, anti-scald, hand held spray. Curtains instead of door.

We're enlarging the room so it will be 8'10" x 7'8" (taking 3 ft. from an adjacent bedroom). There is an existing closet to another bedroom that takes up 9 sq. ft--3'x3'--in the lower left hand corner (as you look at the drawing). The fixtures are all in the upper half, from left to right: sink, toilet, shower. There will be a 36" door in the lower right hand corner. As he enters he can go straight to the shower. To get to the toilet and sink he will have to turn diagonally to get between the corner of the bedroom closet and the shower (on the drawing it's marked as 36").

I have a few more questions:
1. He will approach the toilet from right to left and there's space in front of the sink where he can park the walker. We can put a grab bar on the side of the shower adjacent to the toilet. But he needs something on the left hand side of the toilet as he'll need to turn himself as he sits down and will need something to hold onto. I see that there are arms for toilets that attach either to the floor or wall and look like armrests on both sides of the toilet. And there are grab bars that extend from the wall or floor. A grab bar on the left of the toilet would make it a little more difficult to get to the sink. I wondering about a pole from floor to ceiling that wouldn't extend much beyond the sink. What would you recommend?
2. The walker will bang into the walls. I'm thinking about putting beadboard on the lower half of the walls to help protect the walls. What do you think? Are there other materials that might be better?
3. The plans call for a light over the sink and a light in the middle of the room. Should there be lighting in the shower too?
4. I want the floor of the shower to be as nonslippery as possible. At my home I use a shower mat that has suction cups and I guess I'd use that here too, unless you have some other ideas. What about the mat on the floor as he steps out of the shower? Do they make bath mats that have suction cups?
5. The door needs to be wide but is a wide door going to be heavy and hard to open? I'll use a lever instead of a knob. Are there other things I could do to make it easier to open?

Thanks for all your feedback. It's been a great help.

sorry i can't comment on all your questions but i would opt for porcelain tile partially up the walls instead of the beadboard; less prone to dent.
i would definitely put a light in the shower, even if it weren't in an ADA compliant bath. the bath mat scares me a little. i've never seen one that doesn't have sides that completely adhere to the floor so there could be areas that can make it easy to kick up ant trip over. i'd always go with a small, grouted porcelain tile, like a 2" hex or square.
have you considered a pocket door? it might be easier to just slide the door open, that way once inside there would be more room to maneuver a walker or wheelchair. good luck on your project. what a thoughtful relative you are!

beckybeck,
I can't see a drawing, but if your toilets' center isn't about 18 inches away from a wall where you could mount a standard grab bar, there are lots of other types of grab bars like you mentioned. Some flip up or even swing away, but I don't know if he could manage those or not. A 36" door won't be harder to open than a 24" door. If it's a hollow core door it will be lighter in weight, but we have found solid core doors open easily as well. Pocket doors work well also as kateskouro mentioned. Definatly get the lever handles, that's a great thing for anyone:) You might consider the tile wainscott for protecting your walls and even tile baseboard. I think a light for the shower is necessary actually and I think the bath mats would seem to be more of a hazard. If you use small 1X1 tile or hex tile in the shower as mentioned the grout would provide a nonslip surface without the danger of a bath mat that he may trip on. Just my 2 cents for what it's worth...

Beckybeck, have you considered the type of armrests that just snap onto the toilet where the seat has it's hinges? I think it is called a toilet support frame. You can use just one or both of them since they are removable with a push-button. While the pocket door certainly saves room due to no doorswing, I think they are a little difficult to operate if you do not have good hand function. Just based on the ones I've used, the ring that you pull the door with may be difficult to manipulate. I just want to add, too, that you seem like a very considerate and caring relative.

I agree - you're being very considerate and loving. that's one blessed cousin!

some shower bases are made out of a non slip material/textured. I think one I saw was at the swanstone site.
and if you use a curtain instead of 'open' area shower, qvc has some that are clear plastic toward the top - maybe 1/3 of it to let more light into the shower.

have you look online for handicapped supplies? or stopped into one of their stores? that might be helpful - maybe someone at an actual store would have some good input also.

Here is a link that might be useful: Swanstone