Examples of bathrooms for aging in place
annkathryn
11 years ago
Featured Answer
Comments (24)
desertsteph
11 years agoRelated Discussions
bath layout/shower size/aging in place
Comments (8)One thing I kept in mind was leaving clearances that would allow for rolling to the toilet and into the shower. I assumed the ability to stand up and turn. This allows for access by someone using a rolling walker, or seated on a rolling chair of some kind. I didn't worry about full scale wheelchair access as other aspects of my house make that impractical. The significant things were a curbless shower with a 36 inch entrance, and sufficient clearance in front of the toilet (and the path from the door to the toilet) to swing a rolling walker around easily. I also added a half wall so that I could put grab bars on both sides of the toilet. If you don't need grab bars there now, a major re-do lets you easily ensure good blocking for them goes in for the future at pretty much no cost. I have some areas in the shower blocked for additional grab bars if needed in the future (and a diagram showing exactly where the blocking is) Those were my major considerations as I was going through the process....See More32"vs 34" doorways for aging in place
Comments (8)This isn't as easy as just saying, "Let's make the doors wide enough for a wheelchair". Consider: - What's easier than a large door? NO door. Obviously you want a door on your bedroom and bathroom . . . but look for places where you can ELIMINATE unnecessary doors; for example, extra doors in overly-compartmentalized bathrooms are a nighmare for people with walkers or wheelchaiars. Or, a compromise: Pocket doors, which you can leave open if mobility becomes a problem in the future. - If you find your doors aren't large enough, you can switch the hinges and get an extra 2" or so -- what're they called? Swing away hinges? - Remember that oversized doors take away space from furniture placement. If you're building a compact plan, this may matter to you. You are unlikely to end up using a wheelchair full-time, yet that's what people seem to plan for. More likely scenerios: - You're more likely to lose mobility due to the natural aging process rather than an accident. - You're more likely to need a cane than anything else. - You're more likely to need a walker than a wheelchair. - You're more likely to use a walker in the house and a wheelchair when you leave the house. - If you're using a wheelchair or wheelchair just for outings, do you have a spot by your everyday entrance where you can store your apparatus? These are big items to leave laying about. - If you're in a wheelchair only temporarily (or only for outings), you're likely to have an inexpensive manual chair; whereas, if you're in a wheelchair permanantly, you're probably going to spend on an electric chair. The electric chair is more narrow and needs less doorway space. - Walk-in closets and pantries are very popular, but will you be able to maneuver inside them if you need a walker or a wheelchair? Don't skimp on floorspace. - Garage doors matter too: If you end up in a wheelchair, you'll probably downsize to one vehicle. If you have ONE big garage door instead of two small ones, you'll be able to park in the middle of the garage and make use of the extra space to enter the vehicle. - Even if your garage entry is zero-degree entry, install grab-bars on both the inside and the outside. My grandmother had them, and they made an amazing difference for her. - Your floors may be more important than your doors -- they were for my grandmother, both for her walker and for her temporary wheelchair. A change from linoleum to carpet can cause a fall. Keeping your floors 100% flat is worth some effort. - Steps are an extension of your floors. Put effort into having at least one covered entrance (preferably your most convenient door, probably the one from the garage) that has no steps....See MoreArticles: What To Look For If You Plan To Age In Place
Comments (27)our garage is BIG ENOUGH to maneuver around in a walker with the car door open, etc. That's one of the reasons to go with the larger single door - because if you downside to one car, you can drive it in the middle. Good points. My grandmother had a two-car garage with one door, and it was so easy for me to back in (so the passenger side'd be near the house door), open the door for her, and bring her walker around to her. Our plan for ourselves is that we'll go into retirement with the two cars we already have ... and we'll judge whether we need to continue with two. At some point we'll drop one car -- likely when he experiences some medical problems -- and then we can park my car in the dead center, if needed. Of course, all this is predicated on there being someone to care for someone with such limited mobility! Will it be a family member who is willing to do so and enough younger to be ABLE? A spouse of the same age is often not able. Having round the clock caregivers so one can stay at home is a true luxury. A retirement home in assisted living - even skilled nursing is less expensive, even if harder to accept. I'm 100% sure that a retirement home is more expensive than aging-in-place. Of course, any of us could reach the point that a nursing home is necessary, but why not postpone that date as long as possible. You raise a fair point about having a caregiver. I have several thoughts on this issue: - My RN daughter worked "home health" at times during college, and my grandmother had "home health" at times. A whole lot of people don't need (or don't yet need) round-the-clock care, and help a few hours a week can allow them to stay in their own homes. Every time the home health aid comes, the visit begins with a check of vitals, and it's good to have someone check in on you frequently. Some insurance covers this, and if you pay out of pocket, it's still less expensive than a retirement home. A home health care provider comes in for a couple hours several times a week. The #1 thing my daughter did was help people with personal hygiene. She also did light housekeeping (i.e., change the sheets and throw the dirty ones into the washer), did prep work for meals so the elderly person had an easy meal to cook, and sometimes even drove them on errands. She worked frequently for an elderly brother-sister who lived together, and they had the system figured out: The sister's home health worker came several times a week, always in the morning. She'd help the sister with her bath and help prep a few meals. Then my daughter came in the evening for the brother. She'd help the brother with whatever he needed, then prep a few more meals. Smart people. - My husband and I are building a master bedroom downstairs for ourselves ... and another upstairs. Our plan is that this second master would allow one of our children (or a future grandchild) to live upstairs, allowing for a bit of separation /privacy. If this doesn't work out for one of our children, it'd be possible to find a college student or a lady trying to get back on her feet after a divorce who'd like a free place to live in exchange for "being there" in the evenings and helping with cleaning and driving for an elderly person. Or such a place could be a good option for a paid caregiver. - My own grandmother was able to cook her own breakfast, and Meals on Wheels brought her lunch 5 days a week ... and since she ate so little, that meal was usually enough for dinner too. She was fortunate enough to have 2 children and 4 grandchildren in the local area, and she went out to lunch or dinner (then shopping or whatever else she needed) with someone about three times a week. - I mentioned Meals on Wheels. Many communities have nice programs for the elderly that include transportation and more. And now we have Ubers, giving us more access to transportation than previous generations. - In our case, my husband's the fortunate one! I'm younger and in better health, so realistically I'll be his caregiver ... but I don't think I'll be in terrible shape later on. but my mom's age-related spinal compressions and scoliosis make her already low vanity height ideal. Yeah, I started out short, so the ideas about higher vanities don't appeal to me at all! You must allow space around the toilet for bars, the possibility of installing arms beside the toilet, room for a walker to maneuver, and possibly our my a caregiver to assist. I really think this is one of the things that people most often do wrong in custom houses: My grandmother had great trouble using public bathroom stalls -- even the larger handicapped stalls -- yet so many people shove their toilets into closets. My grandmother opted to wear Depends and skip drinks when she went out so she could avoid those toilets. Yet she had no trouble using her home toilet, which had space around it as you describe /grab bars. Be sure hallways will allow a gurney to make corners if necessary. I say include a door from your bedroom straight to the outside. The ambulance guys can come through your back yard and take you straight out, no corners necessary. This kills two birds with one stone: My daughter mentioned that every elderly person for whom she provided "home health" enjoyed a place where he or she could sit and look outside. My daughter worked with one woman who lived in horrible housing, and lacking a better spot, the woman sat in the front doorway and looked outside ... blocking everyone's exit. I plan to hire on a maid to come by once every other week That's a great plan, and you can add on more time if you need it in the future. so we can install grab bars in all the bathrooms and showers when needed. Whether it's in 1 year or 60, they'll be taking me out of this house feet first Yeah, my plan is to use ALL grab bars, no towel bars. They make attractive grab bars that don't look industrial. The only negative is that they cost more, but I'd rather go ahead and do it up front rather than need them and have to scurry....See Morestylish bathtub to age in place
Comments (14)I'd say..no to free standing (they look cool and all. but) Agree, though I agree they're lovely. Because the base of the tub is higher than the floor, you have to "step down" farther, and it's tricky for people who are young and healthy! I like to have a generous surround if possible ..so one can sit on the edge while going into/out of the tub Yes, I agree. I'd say something like this drop-in-tub set in a deck. You can sit on the edge and swing your legs in at your leisure. I'd suggest placing the faucet in the middle of the back wall ... this would allow you to easily reach the controls while you're in the tub (for adding more hot water). On the subject of faucets, I'd go with a faucet that includes a spray hose (they probably have a better name than that) so you can wash your hair in the tub ... or rinse out the tub itself easily. I also like that this tub allows a nice ledge for bath bombs, candles, books.if you can have these..thingamagics lol that you can put your elbows on while in the tub, that's something to consider. They can be non-offensive too, and not take from how a tub looks My husband and I both like a tub with integrated arm rests. They're not particularly common, but you can certainly find them. You can get integrated grab bars too, which aren't as visible as those above the tub's edge. No, don't get a walk-in tub. They are really not all that great, because you have to sit there and shiver while the tub fills and while it drains. Yes, this. Other thoughts: This past weekend we were in a hotel (moving our youngest into college), and we were assigned to a handicapped room. The tub was a study in grab bars, and when I saw your post, I googled and was able to find a picture of it online: I think ours actually had five grab bars. It seems like overkill, but I suppose once you need them, you'd be glad of them. My thought: If you don't need them now, at least install the solid plywood behind your tile so you could add them easily /inexpensively in the future. Note, too, that the wooden slat seat slides in/out on a metal guide. My husband was first in the tub, and he removed this /set it aside. He said it was very easy. My mom has a "seat" in her shower that folds up /rests against the wall ... I think that might be superior. If nothing else, you wouldn't have to find a place to store the seat slats when not in use. I want a deep tub, but I agree with others that the step-over is a concern. Test out the backrest in your tub ... a gentle slope is best, but people have different opinions on just what that means. I dislike a straight-backed tub, which gives no support. Think twice about getting a large tub ... given that you're tall, sure, you want a longer tub, but wider tubs just take more time to fill. Once we stayed in a hotel with a WIDE tub, and I literally couldn't put my arms on both arm rests at once, which annoyed me because I am a tub reader. Consider the size of your water heater ... you want to be sure it can handle your hot water demands....See Morewritersblock (9b/10a)
11 years agoThere are much better looking grab bars that also function as toilet paper holders, like this one from moen.
I've posted this before, but it's still a good example of how things like grab bars don't need to be obtrusive. In this bathroom, the toilet paper holder, towel bar, and shower basket are all grab bars as well, and there are other companies making similar articles now. They don't have to be those massive obtrusive ones (unless you need folding--those are all still pretty old-style, as yet).
annkathryn
11 years agowritersblock (9b/10a)
11 years agocoolbeansw
11 years agoWe replaced a fiberglass tub/shower unit (that was difficult to step into and very slippery) with a tiled shower that has a grab bar, built-in bench, low curb, and high-traction porcelain floor tile. Safe and convenient for people of all ages.
Here is a link that might be useful:
annkathryn
11 years ago
denali2007
11 years ago
lazy_gardens
11 years ago
a2gemini
11 years agoPaulSlack
10 years agogabbythecat
10 years agosouthernstitcher
10 years agogabbythecat
10 years ago
enduring
10 years agoI have done one full remodel and well on my way with the second. I put 2x8 blocking between studs the distance I anticipate the need for fixtures. On my tub in my first bath, I but the rail at the side of the tub, at about 24" off the bottom of the tub if I remember. Then at the back of the tub I but in a rail at about 42" from the floor to become my towel bar. It is a little harder to get a towel in there compared with a regular towel bar because the bar is thicker. I wanted to have anything that I might grab onto, in a fall, securely attached.
My "in progress" bathroom, I will have a vertical rail at the entryway to the shower. No tub. New 32" doors to the room (couldn't fit 36"). They are pocket doors so not any wasted space delegated to the hinged door. There will be a long grab bar at the long side of the shower at 36" height. I also have blocking in place for the back of the toilet as well as the side. These areas will be fitted with bars as needed. I have taken multiple pictures of the wall space and will take measurements for my records. The walls will go in next week so I am getting everything blocked for grab bars this week.
Here is an example of the blocking around my toilet area:
- PRO
modern life interiors
10 years ago whit461
10 years agowhit461
10 years agoThis is our inspiration bathroom. Our space is slightly larger, and certainly grab rails and other considerations have to be made and planned for, but if nothing else, it is "inspiring" that you CAN have a workable shower for aging in a very small space if you plan right.
enduring
10 years agoannkathryn
10 years agoWe renovated a house and converted a half bath to a small full bath with a curbless shower and a couple of grab bars.
Someone was asking upthread about Signature Hardware vs Home Depot. I bought grab bars at both. The shower one came from Signature Hardware and then toilet paper holder is Moen, sold at HD.
From Downstairs Bath
From Downstairs Bath
MercerM
10 years agowhit461
10 years agoenduring
10 years agoannkathryn
10 years agoI guess it's ok to highjack my own thread although when I started it last year I was just hoping to provide ideas for aging in place :)
Thanks for providing the link, enduring. This is the downstairs bath in our small 2-story house. We hope to live here for a very long time. We have an office downstairs that can be converted to a bedroom, with this bathroom next to it for when we can no longer navigate the stairs. It's not really wheelchair-accessible, but it has the 2 grab bars and is blocked for others.
The bath is very small, around 6' x 6' if I remember correctly but I'd have to look at the plan. The wall tile in the shower is Yakarta Wenge from Porcelanosa. The floor tile was very inexpensive, Happy Floors Wood Natif Ambra 12" x 24". My tiler cut it down for the shower floor tiles.
Here's another picture of the drain.
From Downstairs Bath
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