Tips For Remodeling A Bathroom For The Elderly

If you have an elderly person in your family, it can be a bit scary to think about them alone in their bathroom. This is where many accidents take place for elderly people; however, there are things that you can do to make the bathroom a place that is safer for them. If you want to make the bathroom of your elderly loved one a place that is more easily accessible and safe, then here are some tips that will help you with this remodeling pursuit.

Make Room for a Wheelchair
One of the first things you need to do if you are remodeling a bathroom for an elderly person is to make sure that there is plenty of room for a wheel chair to get around in this bathroom. While they may not need a wheelchair right now, you never know when they may end up needing one, so it is best to go ahead and make it easily accessible by wheelchair.

Go with a Walk In TubnA walk in tub can definitely be a great choice for elderly people. In fact, about 50% of accidents that occur in bathrooms occur in the bath tub. Just getting a walk in tub can really be a huge help to older people. They make it easy for them by offering a door that they walk through, instead of stepping into a tub. Also, these tubs include a nice seat that they can sit on to make it easier too. So, these are great additions that will make it easy for them to bathe and keep themselves clean without having to worry about the difficulties of dealing with a traditional tub.

Make Sure There are Plenty of Grab Bars
You should be sure to install grab bars throughout the bathroom in a variety of different places. If you have the tub, then install them nearby, and if you go with a walk in shower option, make sure that there are grab bars on the inside of the shower. You should also have grab bars near the toilet as well, since they may need help getting up or sitting down.

Install a Low Sink for Handicap Use
If they happen to be in a wheelchair, then you'll need to be sure that they can use the sink. This means you need a lower sink that a wheelchair can get under. Make sure that you make the sink easily accessible, even if they are in a wheelchair.

Make Sure the Floors are all Slip Proof
The floors should be made slip proof throughout the entire bathroom to help keep your loved one safe as well. Since water often gets on the floor in the bathroom, it is easy to slip and fall. However, a slip proof floor can help to keep this from happening