How To Remodel Your Bathroom With Aging In Place Features In Mind

With the cost of residing in an assisted living home or a nursing home higher than ever before, many people are looking for ways to avoid having to pay upwards of three thousand dollars per month just to house themselves or their loved ones as they age. And while some elderly folks will be unable to “age in place” due to certain medical conditions, a large majority of senior citizens would be able to simply grow old in the comfort of their own homes, provided they have the right features in place. 

If you or a loved one is looking to age in place rather than check into a nursing home, here are a few bathroom features you’ll need to stay safe.

1. Accessibility Features

Getting into a bathtub or shower can be a lot harder when you’re over the age of 70. A walk-in shower with a fold-down seat inside is a great option that helps reduce the chance of slips and falls. You also might want to install grab bars and rails inside the shower, as well as near the toilet.

2. Safety Features

Bathrooms are a dangerous place because no matter how much you do to prevent slips or falls, it is still the most common place for them to occur. You want to make your bathroom as safe as possible so that when a fall does inevitably happen, you or your loved ones will be none the worse for wear. 

You can make a bathroom much safer to fall in by installing curved pads around the sharp edges of the bathroom counter. Covering up all sharp edges will go a long way towards making your bathroom safer in the event of a fall. Non-slip mats and curbless shower frames should also be included to make a bathroom as safe as you possibly can.

3. Low-Maintenance Surfaces

Another thing that people commonly overlook when designing a bathroom for safety is the addition of low-maintenance surfaces. Most bathrooms are built with tile floors and walls with gaps and grout that can be harder to clean when mold and mildew build-up. By installing a solid surface shower base or quartz bathroom countertops, you can make life much easier. Both of these materials are seamless, which means they are created with one solid slab of soap-friendly texture. 

Quartz bathroom countertops are also low-maintenance, stylish, and easily cleaned with a simple all-purpose cleaner. By lessening the cleaning responsibilities in the bathroom, you’ll reduce instances of bending down and physical exertion, making the home much more suitable for aging in place. 

Don’t Waste Money On a Nursing Home If You Don’t Have To

Assisted living and nursing homes are really expensive and can drain you and your loved ones’ finances. Build a space for yourself to age in place in the comfort of your own home with the tips laid out above. Bathrooms can be especially dangerous for the elderly, so by incorporating some of these ideas you can reduce the risk of falling and mitigate trips to the hospital while providing some peace of mind.

About The Author: Matt Lee is the owner of the Innovative Construction and Building Materials blog and a content writer for the building materials industry. He is focused on helping fellow homeowners, contractors, and architects discover materials and methods of construction that save money, improve energy efficiency, and increase property value.

Photo by Micheile Henderson on Unsplash