Accessible Bathroom Design For The Elderly

 Accessible Bathroom Design For The Elderly

Unfortunately, it comes to us all. No matter how much we try to stave it off with exercise, healthy eating and generally looking after ourselves, it’s a fact of life that we’ll all age and won’t be as mobile as we once were. As a result we might find it a bit more difficult to move around our homes.

One of the areas that we refit quite a bit here at My Beautiful Bathroom, is the bathroom. This is a room that it’s important people feel able to cope with because, let’s face it, independence is a pretty big thing for all of us.

For an elderly person refitting a bathroom could mean fitting a raised toilet seat or taking out an existing bath or shower to fit a walk-in bath or deep soaking tub. The latter are far easier to access, take up less space than a bath and in terms of washing and getting clean, do exactly the same job. Getting your bathroom refitted to cope with your ageing body isn’t an admission of defeat – it’s a sensible choice which, when it comes down to it, means you’re not going to have to depend on others for help with activities which you’d much rather just get on with yourself.

 

 So what’s involved in raising a toilet seat?

It’s all about increasing the height of your toilet seat to make it more accessible (a great idea for those with a bad back). Some models of raised toilet seat will fit inside your existing model. Others attach to the outside with screws or perhaps even hinge onto the back of the toilet. Height-wise you’re talking about raising the seat by around five inches which can make all the difference to the infirm.

 What about easy-access bathing facilities?

A walk-in bath is basically an ordinary bath with a door cut into the front panel which the user can walk through rather than having to raise a leg to step over the edge and, in doing so, risk losing their balance. A deep soaking tub does the job of a bath but is around half the size and deeper. It can be accessed via a step at the front and has a shower nozzle attachment for washing hair.

 

 And if I don’t want to lose my existing bath?

Sometimes it’s just enough to fit grab bars to the toilet wall above the bath to ensure you maintain your balance and have something to pull yourself up with when you want to get out the bath. There are many more adaptations you can fit to your bathroom and it’s a good idea to have an initial free chat with an occupational therapist for advice (every local authority in Scotland has access to OT services via their Elderly Care Department). There may also be grants available for buying the above equipment.

You, or a member of your family, can also give us a call on 0141 771 3640 and we’ll be happy to offer any assistance we can, at a time that suits you.

Thanks My Beautiful Bathroom