bathroom renovation for elderly

E.g., http://www.us.kohler.com/planning/detail.jsp?aid=1124208372679&section=3&nsection=3&nsubsection=3&nitem=1

Grab bars that are supported from inside the wall are very important as well. Purchasing the right non slip tile of course is very important for the floor as well.

Handheld showerhead

this may not be an issue now, but make sure to leave enough room near the toilet to be able to pull up in a wheelchair. hand rails along every wall.

My parents built a wing onto their house for my Grandma about ten years ago that my father designed (he's an engineer). The bathroom spared no expense, monetarily or space-wise.

First, make sure you have an extra-wide door to eventually allow for wheelchair access. No doorknobs ... hand levers for arthritic hands that have difficulty grasping. Same thing for the sink; handles, not knobs.

They make a really nice one-piece drop-in fiberglass shower stall with a molded-in bench and built-in handle bars that takes the place of a traditional bathtub. Resist the temptation to customize with tiles -- fiberglass is much more forgiving to falls.

Also resist the temptation to install glass doors on the shower stall -- they're also a fall danger (senior slips, starts to fall, grabs onto the first available handle, which happens to be the door handle, rips the glass door off its hinges). Use a shower curtain, as you'll want maximum access to the shower area if and when you'll eventually need to help Grandma or Grandpa shower.

Someone already mentioned it, but I'll mention it again: Install a removable shower head that turns into a hand nozzle. That hand nozzle was a godsend for my mother when she had to shower Grandma.

Avoid, however, those elevated toilets. Instead, install one of those booster seats onto a standard toilet. There will be times when you'll want toilet-height flexibility.

Install one of those ceiling lights that has a built-in night light when you shut off the main bulb(s).

It goes against my aesthetic taste, but install VINYL tile on the floor. It has the most give of any of the bathroom floor surfaces and again is the most forgiving for slips and falls.

Finally, try to make the bathroom as BIG as possible - even if it looks like there's wasted space. You will want enough room to maneuver a wheelchair or walker, set it off to the side, AND close the bathroom door.

Good luck!

install nice glass doors

OOPS forget that last line!! NO GLASS DOORS!!!!!

How can vinyl go against your æsthetic taste? Your the one who wants the entire world covered in plastic laminate.

You're

This is all wonderful advice. Thank you, I really appreciate it.

Hi, I am in a wheelchair and therefore require an accessible bath. I would also recommend a cantilever sink so that a person is able to sit or a wheelchair can pull under and an open roll-in shower (easier for caretakers to assist) with bench if room allows. Lever handles on faucets, hand held shower option and a vanity mirror that tilts.