Aging in Place: Bathroom solutions

Aging. No one likes the thought or reality of getting older. Joints hurt, eyesight fails but people are living independently longer than ever and it’s important that they have the solutions to help them maintain their independence while remaining safe. Today we are going to explore some helpful bathroom solutions for us as we age.

-Lighting: We need 3 times the amount of light at age 60 than we did at age 20 to complete the same task. Add a light in the shower, plug in a night light, motion sensing light controls or even consider adding lighting inside your cabinet to help you see the contents better.

-Single lever or touch faucets

-One bathroom on the main floor of the house should have a shower with a seat

-Add reinforcement in the walls of the bathroom in the shower and near the toilet for grab bar installation. Delta makes some great looking assistance bars that double as towel bars, toilet paper holders and shelf caddy’s.

-No threshold entry to shower area and no door if possible

-Multiple shower heads at different heights or handheld adjustable shower head.

-Comfort height toilet

-Heated floors

-Drawers & pulls outs-include or retrofit existing cabinets to include all pulls outs in base and tall cabinets. It makes accessing the items so much easier.

-Pulls-use a handle or pull on cabinet doors instead of knobs. They are easier for arthritic hands to grasp.

These are just a few of the things that most commonly need addressing when considering aging in place. Take the time to consider the future and your family when you are considering building or remodeling. Email me at jessica@webbercoleman.com and let me know if you have any questions or suggestions regarding aging in place solutions.