with code WELCOMEBACK25. *T&Cs apply
23 February 2022
Standard homes aren’t always the most accessible places when you’re trying to care for someone who through illness, disability or old age needs extra support with daily tasks. This can create a variety of challenges, but there are ways to improve accessibility.
In this series on home adaptations, we look at ways to help make your home more accessible, from smaller changes through to larger scale remodels. Starting with the bathroom.
The family bathroom is one of the most regularly used rooms in the home, but standard bathroom layouts aren’t always set up properly to meet accessibility needs. We speak with one of our Occupational Therapists, Sharon, to get her tips and advice on what can be done.
Grab rails are among the more inexpensive ways to help make your bathroom more accessible. They’re simple rails that can be fixed to the wall, offering support at key points around the room, such as at the entrance to the shower or above the bath.
One thing to remember with grab rails is that they must be fitted correctly to a solid wall. If this isn’t possible due to the design of your bathroom, then you may wish to try a different type of rail, such as the NRS Healthcare Swedish Bath Rail, which fixes to the side of the bath instead.
If turning the taps is rapidly becoming an issue, one option is to replace your existing taps with long lever taps to make it easier to use. A much more inexpensive alternative to this is to get tap turners. These useful aids affix to your existing cross head or diamond head taps, turning them into long lever taps to give more grip and leverage to turn them.
Many tap turners also come colour coded, so you can tell at a glance which is the hot tap and which is the cold.
These are boards designed to fit across the top of your existing bath, offering a safe and stable platform to sit on while you get into and out of the bath. Is your shower over your bath? You can also use these boards as a place to rest while you shower. If you do think you would like to use it while you shower, consider if you also need back support. As, if you do, you may need a different type of bathing aid.
Shop all shower boards and bath boards
A shower seat could be a great option for you if you or a loved one find it difficult to stand for long periods of time. It gives you a place to sit and rest while you shower, so you can better conserve your energy.
Shower seats come in a variety of styles and types. There are those that are portable and can be moved in and out of the shower as needed, some with back rests and arm rests, and some without. You can also get shower seats that are fixed to the wall. If you’re limited on space, you could affix a wall-mounted folding shower seat under the shower head on a solid wall.
If you do choose a wall-mounted shower seat, please bear in mind that this will need to be fixed to the wall by a qualified professional.
A toilet frame can help to make it easier to get on and off the toilet. These frames slot around your existing toilet and give you leverage you can use to help push yourself up or lower yourself down. Some toilet frames can be fixed to the floor for a truly solid support, but many are more portable, so they can be moved aside if they aren’t needed.
There are also toilet frames available that come with a raised toilet seat included, to help reduce the distance you have to lower yourself down or stand up again.
If you’re a fan of a relaxing bath but are finding it increasingly difficult to get in and out of the tub, then a bath lift could help. Bath lifts fix to the bottom of your bath and are seats designed to raise up and lower down as needed, so you don’t need to try and push yourself up and out of the bath.
Bath lifts aren’t always suitable for every type of tub, so make sure to check the specifications carefully when choosing one to buy.
If your bath is gathering dust because it just isn’t suitable for your needs anymore, you may want to consider replacing it with a walk-in shower instead. Often, the shower can be installed where your existing bath was, so you won’t necessarily need to completely remodel your bathroom either.
As the name suggests, with a walk-in shower there aren’t any doors to open or close, you can simply walk in. If you need to use a shower commode chair or other wheeled equipment, make sure that this is taken into account when having the walk-in shower set up, so you can be assured that your equipment will fit through the entrance. This may also affect whether or not you need a level access or a low-level access to the shower.
A walk-in shower should always be fitted by a professional installer. If you can, look for one that specialises in bathroom adaptations, so you can be assured that your needs, and those of the people you care for, are being taken into account.
A wet room is a much larger adaptation undertaking but can future-proof your bathroom, so it remains accessible to the whole family for years and years to come. Wet rooms are a great option for those with limited mobility or who need to use a wheelchair.
A wet room will need fitting by a professional installer – ideally one familiar with creating adaptive bathrooms, so you can make sure your requirements are being met in every area of the room. Don’t forget, if you or someone in your family uses wheeled equipment, you’ll need to keep this in mind as you’ll need to make sure there’s space in your new wet room to move the equipment around without blocking off another part of the room.
Do you need more tips and advice on other adaptations you can make to other rooms in your home? Download our full guide to home adaptations here or choose the room you need help with below:
Not sure where to start with adapting your home to meet your needs? Try our Home Living Consultation Service where a registered Occupational Therapist will assess your needs and offer recommendations for changes you can make.
By subscribing you consent to us using your email address in accordance with our privacy policy.