An accessible bathroom is essential in a home if you have a family member who is disabled, elderly, or injured with mobility problems. If you plan to renovate your bathroom to better accommodate your loved one, take note that there are a ton of things to consider to ensure your new bathroom meets the bare minimum requirements.
In this article, we’ll discuss some of the things you should consider to make your bathroom more accessible:
Tip #1: Install a bathroom door with ideal dimensions
The entry point of your bathroom should be large enough to accommodate a wheelchair. To make that possible, ensure that the door width fits at least 32 inches of space and can enable a turning wheelchair, with a five feet allowance. With these dimensions, you can ensure that your loved one can enter the room effortlessly and without undue stress.
Tip #2. Install grab bars wherever possible
Grab bars are an excellent addition to your bathroom walls to help those with trouble maneuvering. Ensure the grab bar you install can support your loved one’s weight. It helps tremendously in ensuring your loved one’s safety when getting around the bathroom area, keeping them from slipping or falling.
Pro Tip: A grab bar located in the toilet and bath is an absolute essential since these areas are the most known for being slip and fall areas.
Tip #3. Place your toilet, sink, and shower in strategic places
The placement of your bathroom fixtures plays a vital role in the level of ease and comfort it provides to its users. Make sure your toilets and baths have a support bar near them. Also, if you need your bathroom to be wheelchair accessible, it is vital to create a toilet bowl that is 17 inches from the bathroom surface.
Tip #4. Remove any unnecessary features
Standard bathroom fixtures sometimes have features that make it difficult for a wheelchair-bound person. One example is the standard 4-inch step at the bathroom entrance that prevents water from leaking outside. Instead of these, it’s best to create a ramp that safely lets the wheelchair go inside the bathroom or the shower area safely and without risk of slipping.
Pro Tip: Remove the storage under the sink area to allow a loved one in a wheelchair to use the sink with ease.
Tip #5. Plan the shower setup
With a standard shower, showering for a wheelchair user can be a challenging activity. Increase wheelchair accessibility by adding curbless shower stalls combined with a shower bench and a nearby grab bar for support.
Tip #6. Raise the bathroom sink height
Wheelchair accessible sinks have a height of at least 27 inches. With this in mind, the position of the faucets and bathroom mirrors should be easy to reach for the loved one who uses a wheelchair.
Tip #7. Install slip-resistant flooring
Slip-resistant flooring benefits not only your mobile-restricted loved one but everyone who uses the bathroom. Slipping is a safety concern since it can cause severe injuries because of the impact of your head or other body parts on hard bathroom surfaces. Installing slip-resistant flooring reduces this risk, giving everyone peace of mind. The best part about slip-resistant flooring is the wide variety of options, styles, and designs that help contribute to your bathroom’s aesthetic appeal.
Conclusion
The last thing you want your loved one to experience is the feeling of helplessness. Creating an accessible bathroom gives your affected loved one more independence, boosting their confidence without sacrificing their safety. When they can perform routine human functions on their own, the sense of autonomy will be amazing for their mental health and peace of mind.
Are you looking for a general contractor to help with your bathroom renovation in London, Ontario? Get in touch with us to see how we can help.
