When it comes to renovating a home with the goal of aging in place, one of the most important rooms to consider is the bathroom. There are a number of renovations that specifically address mobility and accessibility issues that may arise as those living in the household grow older.
For example, remodeling a guest room for aging parents would include a number of design considerations. They would need a full (or three-quarter, shower no tub) bathroom that they could easily maneuver. A curbless shower would allow aging family members with mobility issues to easily enter and exit the shower. Wall hung sinks maximize space and enable an individual in a wheelchair to move around and easily reach the sink and faucets. Lever style wall fixtures are not only sleek looking, but much easier than twist handle faucets to turn on and off. Wall mounted toilets conceal the water tank inside the wall thereby providing additional clear floor space in front of the toilet. This style toilet also provides greater flexibility when it comes to height placement when accommodating an individual in a wheelchair.
Other aging in place design elements to consider for the bathroom include non-slip flooring, strategically placed handrails, motion activated lighting and more.
Learn about how we create living spaces for everyone by visiting our aging in place page on our website.