How to Design Bathrooms for the Aged

Aging in place safely requires some modifications to traditional bathrooms.

Designing bathrooms to accommodate aging adults is becoming very important as the numbers of seniors increases. The Census Bureau predicts the elderly population in America will more than double by the year 2050, so attention to details like higher toilets, grab bars and replacing bathtubs with showers is important. Before you start to plan your bathroom, think about issues such as accessibility, mobility and safety.

Things You'll Need

• Walk-in showers
• Bathtub retrofits
• Grab bars
• Higher toilets
• Lever-style faucets and door handles

Instructions

1. 

   Walk-in showers offer easier entry.

   Maximize bathroom accessibility by planning for wider doorways to make room for wheelchairs and walkers. ToolBase Services, a housing industry resource, says to have at least one, first floor accessible bathroom allowing for a 60-inch turning radius or acceptable T-turn space of a 60-by-60-inches square with two 1-foot by 2-foot sections removed in accordance with the Americans With Disabilities Act. Walk-in showers with little or no threshold offer the easiest accessibility. Bathtub retrofits with hand-held showerheads or walk-in bathtubs are other options.

2. 

   Grab bars help people to pull themselves up from the toilet.

   Plan in advance for grab bars by adding bracing in the walls around the shower/tub area and toilet. Grab bars assist the aged to get up from the toilet and get in and out of the shower.

3. 

   Lever style faucets are easier to grasp.

   Install higher, 17- to 19-inch, comfort height toilets instead of the standard 14-inch toilets, according to Certified Aging In Home specialist Jamie Goldberg, to make it easier for the elderly to stand up. Wall-hung sinks accommodate wheelchairs. Use lever-style faucets and door handles that are easier to grasp. Look for toilet paper holders that can be changed with one hand.

References

• University of Missouri Extension: Batthroom Safety for Older People
• Age in Place: Safety with Style-Bathrooms for Aging Americans
• Toolbase Services: Aging-In-Place Design Checklists
• U.S.Census Bureau