As we age, it often becomes more difficult to get around our home, and with this being true we may need to think about ways in which we can adapt it to address the situation. It has been shown in research that the bathroom is one of the most common places for accidents to occur, so if mobility and balance are issues for you at the moment, then your bathroom could be a great place to start when it comes to making those important changes in your home. There are lots of things that you can do, and it may seem a little overwhelming, so we have put together a few key pointers about what you should think about when renovating a bathroom to make it safer and more accessible.
Have nothing but the bare essentials
A lot of bathrooms can get cluttered, and this means that there is a much higher risk of things being tripped over. With this in mind, you should put some thought into what is actually necessary in your bathroom, and what you could do without. Usually, a toilet, a sink and either a bathtub or shower are the only things that are truly essential, and everything else should be dismissed. Taking out anything that isn’t really needed can also give you more space to move around, too, which is good news if you are in a wheelchair, or if you think that you may need to be in one in the future.
Remove the use of any step-ups where possible
If you struggle with mobility, then steps are one of the many things that you might not be able to handle. For this reason, you should try to eliminate the need for them in any kind of bathroom design that you are thinking of putting in place. If you have a shower, then it is possible to do this by turning the entire room into a wet room. This means that once you’re in the room, there is nothing that you will need to step over. Of course, this means that you won’t be at risk of tripping, but it also means that if you need to use a wheelchair in the future you will be able to use your shower without needing any additional help to get in and out of it – and when you’re thinking about such big plans for your bathroom, it makes a lot of sense to think as far into the future as possible.
Avoid any corners if you can
When you’re thinking about the design of your bathroom, you should try to avoid any aspect of installations that might involve corners. This is because no matter how good your design might be, you can’t always avoid accidents completely, so you need to make the room as safe as possible in case you fall. Although a curved edge could still hurt if you were to fall on it, a corner could cut, which could be dangerous. It’s always important to think about every possible scenario – however negative it might seem – as it is much better to anticipate issues before they occur rather than having to deal with the reality of them.
There is certainly a lot of potential for you to shape your bathroom in a way that means you will have the peace of mind that you can use it whenever you need to. Having the help of a professional at the design stage can be useful, as they should be able to give you key pointers, and you are sure to enjoy the benefits once your new bathroom is in place.