A 32'' width to a shower is kinda cramped. And this isn't ADA compliant. Are the mobility issues likely to increase over time?

Can you do a pocket door?

@Sophie Wheeler

ADA compliance is not required as this is a personal residence. The mobility issues could increase over time but may not. I apologize I made an error While doing the copy and paste of the table! I don't seem to be able to edit the original post. The column labels are misplaces. The Table should look as follows:

Toilet................. Door..............Vanity........... Shower

26.75" high ......80" high....... 36" high........ 84" high

31" wide ...........32" wide...... 36" wide........ 36" wide

34" deep......... 1-3/8" thick.. 24" deep........ 36" deep

@ceezeecz

A pocket door isn't possible because of the need to place a switch and wiring in the wall into which the pocket door would slide. Also I have read that pocket doors can be problematic.

Pocket doors with good hardware are not problematic. The wall the pocket goes into can be made thicker so you can add a switch to the wall. You can also move the door over a little bit and put the switch on the small wall as you enter the bathroom. I would make the shower rectangular, 42" wide by 36" deep. The pocket door would allow the shower door to swing out. where will you put a trash can? I would find the smallest elongated toilet so that it does not overwhelm the small space.

Good luck!

I have little knowledge of how to accommodate mobility issues so I can't help with whether your existing plan is workable or not.

It would up the costs, but you could make things a little more spacious by using a wall mount toilet. You might also be able make the whole room a wet room and do a curbless shower. That would make the shower space bigger and eliminate the curb to stop over to get into the shower. Both of those should make it easier to clean as well.

I don't know code or convention for which way bathroom doors swing. My master bathroom door swings out from the bathroom into the master bedroom. My hall bathroom door swings into the bathroom. If you wanted to use a pocket door, could you relocate the light switch to the wall with the shower?

I agree completely with homepro01 about pocket doors. With good hardware and a heavy solid door they're fine. And the electric doesn't have to be an issue either. They solve so many usable space problems. And because you're not dealing with the swing of a door, they are very easy to operate. You just be in front of it and slide it, no having to move out of the way. That may be helpful in your situation.

@crl_

Truth be told I would love to make the room completely tiled and have it as one open wet space eliminating the need for a shower stall altogether. Bathrooms like that are common in South East Asia. I will be installing spay guns since there won't be space for bidets. Unfortunately, full wet rooms [or spray guns] are not the norm here.

@homepro01 and @ceezeecz

Do you have recommendations for good pocket door frame and door assemblies and hardware?

@homepro01

If I make the shower 42" wide then I also lose that 6" of counter space. I think the counter space is more important in such a small room [unless I do go with the full wet room concept]. The plan is to put the trash can under the sink. It will be a very small one that would need to be emptied frequently.

Before I even read the rest of the comments, the first thing that popped into my head was: a pocket door would make a huge improvement. I'm glad to see that it looks like you have come around to this idea. If you want a solid pocket door and hardware, go with Johnson...it costs about $80 and you'll never have an issue later. People who have trouble with pocket doors are those who cheap out and get flimsier kits. Johnson builds theirs like a tank. Also, if you go with a pocket door you could avoid making the wall thicker than normal if you mount the electrical switches on the wall to the left in the area that would have been concealed by the door swing in your original plan.

And one other thing: if you could swap the positions of the vanity and the shower, I think it could make the functionality even better.

Johnson pocket door kit

The first thing that came to mind is will there be enough room between the inward swing of the door and the legs of the person sitting on the toilet. If the person with limited leg mobility has an issue and might require assistance, could the door be opened easily?

I would recommend the Hafele Hawa pocket door system. A very ry good system but more expensive than Johnsons. Have you considered a washlet rather than a spray gun for the toilet? I have a Toto Washlet and love it. Mine is about 8yrs old. You can order any door slab to match your current interior doors. A wet room is a great idea but I am not sure you have enough space for the proper slope. I don't remember the rule of thumb but Mongoct should be able to provide guidance. One of the things to also consider in such a small bathroom is proportions. I like the idea of a wall mount toilet in this space.

Good luck!

No, this is not a particularly usable plan:

- Imagine you walk in that door. Where do you stand to close it? The only answer is, Scoot yourself between the sink and toilet to allow for the door to swing shut. If you have a walker, it can't fit in at all. A pocket door, as discussed, is one option, but if this elderly person has any problems with arthritus in the hands, pocket door hardware -- even good hardware -- can be problematic. The best choice is an outswing door.

- I'd look at flip-flopping the shower and the sink. I think you might get a slightly larger shower if you do that. You could also go with a shower with solid walls half-way up, which would mean you could have good grab bars on BOTH SIDES of the toilet -- a very good thing for an elderly person. Don't neglect the grab bars on the inside of the shower as well, though they will cut into your usable shower space. I'd also look into the possibility of a small fold-down seat in this shower.

- I don't love the idea of an all-wet room /open shower. In a room this size, you'll wet the door, toilet paper, towels, and everything else in the course of taking a shower. I think you'd create as many issues as you'd solve.

- In this small space, I'm tempted to suggest a pedestal sink because it would require less space, and it would allow for more "visual space". However, that would take away the only storage you have in this bathroom. To gain more storage, I suggest a cabinet above the toilet AND some shallow between-studs shelving behind the door AND a small glass shelf above the pedestal sink.

- You might alleviate some of the storage issues by providing a spot in this person's bedroom . . . a spot to sit down and dry her hair, take her medicines, etc. What I'm saying is use the bathroom ONLY for showering, toileting, and other necessities -- plan to use a bedroom spot for make up, hair, etc.

- Where are you going to hang bath towels? I'm guessing the back of the door. Not ideal, but reachable from this small shower.

For an elderly person with mobility issues, this bathroom is far from ideal. If you have any option to open it up and add more square footage, I'd try hard to do it. I've read all I can on this subject, and an age-friendly bathroom is at the top of our list for our retirement home; I've read that the ability to bathe oneself is usually the first thing people "lose", and a good bathroom will forestall that possibility.

I got the top line of the Johnson pocket door system. Built like a tank. And again, make sure you get a solid wood door. The door has to be heavy to hang and slide properly. It's very quiet and smooth working.

I found these examples of ADA compliant sliding door handles that may fit the bill.

I would not use a pedestal sink. Either go with a vanity for storage or go wall mount. The pedestal is useless.

I'd consider reversing the location of the vanity and the shower. That'll create a larger open floor space just inside the door.

Don't use an inward swinging door. Were the person in the room to become incapacitated, access would be delayed with an in-swining door.

Grab bars. Add blocking if you can. Or just hit the studs. Or use Wing-It anchors or something equivalent.

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