Senior-friendly bathroom remodel?

I can't speak to anything except the shower seat issue. Do not have a built in shower seat. Although unsightly, having a portable shower seat that is adjustable, and can be a real shower chair with armrests can be crucial. I was injured and had to use a shower chair and could never have negotiated a built in shower seat even in my walk in shower. I needed adjustable heights depending on my recovery and I definitely needed the arms for support. My friend is a physical therapist and strongly recommends against built-ins. My daughter has a built-in shower seat and it gets so slick that they don't even let their kids on it because they will slide right off. It's now a giant shelf that's just in the way.

Hello,
Below are some answers to your questions. I've included some links to pages that will provide even more detailed info.
1. It depends on the size of your shower and the use of the grab bars. Ideally, you'd want one installed vertically by door of your shower as that will make it easy to hold onto when stepping over the entry barrier. I would then recommend a couple horizontal bars to be placed on both walls of the shower near the shower head. The horizontal bars will be easy to hold onto while turning or moving in the shower. Please visit the following link to learn more about the types of grab bars available and the pros and cons of having them installed vertically, horizontally, and even diagonally.

2. The optimal height for a toilet and counter top is going to be dependent on what is comfortable for you. Ideally, you'll want both high enough where they are easy to access. For a toilet, there are a few different products that can raise the height of the seat to make it easier and safer to get on and off of such as the TILT from EZ-ACCESS or elevator toilet seat risers.
3. This is again going to be your preference. There are seats that are more than durable enough, but if you prefer a built in shower seat and it's within the budget, then go for it!

get a handicapped toilet, we got one for my mom, she loves it and won't go at our house cause she said its too low.  put a grab bar on the wall beside the toilet.  as far as the bathing area.  have your loved one stand in the shower (help them), put one where they can hold onto when getting into the tub, and either horizontal or diagonal (ask your parent how it feels to hold onto it) when they put their hand up to the area where they would grab onto.  Also, depending on the tub area if a seat would work OR you could buy a seat that they could sit on, move their feet over the tub and into the tub and just sit on that seat.  Also make sure you put down non slip things on the bottom of the tub so they don't slip and fall.  good luck

We remodeled Mom's bathroom with a solid surface floor, no lips, grab bars all down one side and around the shower area. Tile in the shower area and along the walls making the area waterproof. A drop down grab bar between the toilet and shower area, floating cabinets and vanity. Fan and heat lamp in ceiling. there is enough room to bring her wheelchair right next to her shower chair, also a handheld shower on a sliding bar. The CNA's that come to bathe Mom love it!

I moved into a house that was built "Handicap Accessible" and it has 2 bathrooms one is a designated handicap bathroom after my Husband fell it quickly became his bathroom.
The bathroom is large enough to get a wheelchair or a Sit to Stand or Hoyer Lift into.
The entire bathroom is what is called a "wet room" so all tile on the floor and most of the walls.
Shower is a large Roll In or Zero Threshold shower.
There are 2 long grab bars in the shower but I placed several more in the bathroom replacing towel bars with grab bars.
Both toilets in the house are Tall (ADA height) with elongated bowls.
I did attach a piece to the toilet that had "arms" on it (sort of like the arms on a chair) that made it easier for my husband to get up. I removed that when he started using a wheelchair. I had a shower wheelchair that I could position over the toilet than I would just roll him into the shower.
If there is a possibility that a wheelchair will be used if you have 2 sinks in the bathroom one should not have a cabinet below it so rolling a chair up to the sink is easier. If there is only 1 sink maybe a Pedestal sink with extra cabinetry or an easily accessible closet.

A quick note on the diagonal grab bars. The ones I was finding did not come in a 16 or 32 inch length (studs in the walls are typically 16 inches apart) so unless you wanted special anchors used or custom ordered grab bars placing them diagonally was the way to use the more common or easily found grab bars.
Horizontal grab bars seem to be easier to use, and they can double as a towel bar. I did place one vertically by the shower but it really was never used.

Personal opinion about the shower seats.
What will be easier and more comfortable to you. Freestanding ones can be moved so it can be made to be more comfortable. You can use them with or without a back. As Trunk support is lost a back can be important. A built in shower seat it typically at the back of the shower and that might be a distance from the controls and the hand held shower "wand".
I/we never had to use a shower seat since he went from standing to a shower wheelchair. When he was standing for some reason he did not use grab bars for support so I would buy used walkers from resale shops and he would use a walker for support. (never paid more than $3.00 for one and if they became unstable or corroded I would put them out for the metal scrappers or recycle)

I WISH I could convince my mom to take the tub out of her ONE bathroom. Stepping in and out to shower, even with the grab bars, is unsafe. She FEELS unsafe and is reluctant to shower. She is adamant that there will be NO CHANGES and cries about the expense as an excuse. She can easily afford the accommodation but is terrified to spend anything. It doesn't help that his sister told her that her lovely $200,000 home would be "unsellable" without that 70-year old bathtub.

The most important thing of all is to have the toilet seat higher than all the ones they install everywhere. Seniors cannot sit so low and it is impossible to get up again. Move the seat way up higher for ease of sitting and getting up and put handle bars on each side so the person can get up again.

All good suggestions from responders. However, even following the ADA guidelines, there is not a generic solution. Therefore, I still encourage you to have your loved one’s Particular needs and abilities evaluated by an Occupational Therapist. They measure, talk (and listen) with the person regarding their abilities and their wishes. Then with you who can provide input from your perspective of your loved one’s situation and preferences and your construction guru will be installing the accommodations. Think safety first (non-slip flooring for example), and enhancing independence second.
BTW...We did not install doors to any of our showers. Just beautiful shower curtains which can be removed as needed. This is another safety precaution (people have been known to knock doors off their frames and/or break the glass). Besides, both our mothers desire and value their privacy, so the curtains offer that. They are quite pleased with their individual suites.

From a construction/structural point of view, it isn't always possible to do a completely flat entrance at the base of a shower. We couldn't on our 2nd floor shower because we would have had to cut into the structural flooring below. On the first floor, if you're on a slab, there are other considerations. It's easiest when you have a first floor shower and your house has a crawl space below. Definitely get rid of the tub and make the entrance to the shower as low and as wide as you can. Good luck!

Make the shower do you can wheel in a wheelchair. Flat entrance , no lip.

i thought my shower was a nice senior shower but when I had my 80 year old mom she could barley step over the 3” high entrance to the shower.

My DW and I upgraded two of our 3 bathrooms in the spring of 2018. The bathroom in the Master BR was built to be friendly to the handicapped. We have three children currently at home 2 adults college age, and a 13 yr old.
The master bedroom has been changed from a combo shower/tub to a stand up shower with just a small step of about 4 inches to help from water flooding the floor. We tore down the drywall and made the shower area walls with a really good tile, with accent around the three sides of the shower, and tile on the floor.
Our contractor knew that I had Muscular Dystrophy as well as Early onset ALZ. He suggested we put in a built in Teak Shower Seat mounted to the end wall and two Horizontal Grab Bars, one 18 inches on the front wall just below the shower faucet and one on the right hand sidewall that was three feet long.
There have been approximately 4x that the grab bars and shower seat saved the day, as I was home alone. I'd suggest all seniors and disabled people that have the means to pay for the remodeling make those changes for yourself and loved ones who may have to come to the rescue.
The remodeling of these bathrooms have not only saved me from myself, but have been worth every penny spent, and we enjoy our remodeled bathroom, and our children are happy with the remodeling job done on their bathroom. The toilet is 19 inches tall from floor to the top of the toilet seat. I hope this is helpful.
The vanity has a marble top and stands about 3.5 ft above the floor.

Imho, would it be worth it to do a walk-in shower since the "senior" will age?
Comfort height toilets are 17 to 19" high.
Standard bathroom countertop=31".

Looking forward to your answers! We are doing the same thing! Just ordered a shower to replace tub.

I have a handheld shower head and the pole is an ADA grab bar. My bathroom floor is one continuous tile into the shower, no lip or edge. It is graded but when your contractor does it tell him to go deeper than required. Our shower water still gets under the glass door even tho the tile tile slants down toward drain. Definately need a towel bar at far e.d of shower, which works if your shower is the tub length. Also, a grab bar opposite the glass door/shower exit. Also, you could skip the door if you put a full tile wall at shower end, still leaving the floor a continuous flow. Think ahead a d leave room for a shower chair, maybe a wheelchair. Also, fill out medicare paperwork forst so you can get reimbursed!!! The built in shower seats are never the right ht and they are not sanitary. Toilet risers are ok. Get the tallest toilet to start with if your person is at least 5'5 otherwise go with the shorter toilet and get a 2" riser when/if needed.

- An automatic soft night light that they cannot turn off ( can automatically increase when movement, until they find proper light switch)
- An emergency light in case power goes out. ( happened at my mom's and bathroom with no window, became total blackout enen during day time ! Some residents who were in their bathroom got injured trying to find way out, easily desoriented ..)
- Little strap to keep shower curtain open and attached to the wall when not in use , so thay are not tempted to hold on to it as it will not and they may fall into bathtub.
- No sharp edges on vanity
- No free standing pedestal sink, may not be solid enough to hold on too in case of a fall.
- No busy motifs if wallpaper
- Contrast between appliances and wall, ( hard to see contour of all white toilet on all white wall and all white floor.

We remodeled the bathrooms in my parents' house and found toilet paper holders that had built-in grab bars. What a find! The bathrooms are so tight that there was no room for full-sized bars next to the toilets, so we bought Delta Faucet DF704PC toilet paper holders.

Also, we bought a shower/bath faucet set for the shower and installed the bathtub faucet about a foot above the shower floor. The intent was to make it easier to wash feet or give a sponge bath without drenching the person from above with the shower or having to wrestle with a hand-held shower. We never got to use that shower as my dad died and my mother had to move to a nursing home, but it seemed like a good idea, especially for my mom who absolutely hates being showered.

I just did an on-line search for ADA Guidelines and found the actual guidelines as well as some "blog-type" articles about how to use these in a home. They an be overwhelming, so don't get bogged down in the details. There are also dealers who specialize in the ADA compliant equipment that you need--that is a separate search. It is amazing what is available and many come in several options for finishes.
My best advice is to contract with a remodeling company that has done a lot of ADA compliant remodels or original builds. Ask to see pictures and a list of people for whom they have done this that will allow you to contact them.

As an amputee - bilateral - I use my wheelchair in the bathroom. We moved into this house 3 weeks before I got sick, resulting in my amputations. Here is what works, and what doesn't.

Our toilet is inside a small cubbyhole in the bathroom, which allows for grab bars on both sides of toilet. The vertical grab bars are positioned on to the front of toilet, to the side. I can use the grab bars to transfer off my chair onto the toilet, and vice versa. Horizontal bars would not work. I need to be able to pull myself forward to transfer either way. When I am in my prosthetics, I grab the bars as a aid in sitting or standing.

Horizontal bars would not work for me. Horizontal bars work for balancing, not for help sitting or standing. Perhaps diagonal bars are a compromise between vertical and horizontal. For me, they are the worst choice, as they don't work well either way.

We installed a bidet on top of the original seat. This works really well. I'm vey pleased with using a bidet.

My husband had to take the door off the bathroom so I could get the chair through. We need a wider door frame.

Our shower is a long tiled rectangle with the shower head at the back. It has a step over lip at the front "entrance." The shower handle is at the side halfway between the front and back, on the wall. Love being able to reach the shower handle without being under the shower head. We put a chair in the entrance with a movable seat. I transfer to the chair, move the seat into the shower, then use the faucet which is nicely within reach. I use a hand-held shower head with a long hose. We have a small built-in shelf for soap, etc. This works, but I would prefer a no-lip shower so I could transfer to a seat inside the shower. If I had water-resistant prosthetics, I would have grab bars on both sides of the shower, minimally. I like vertical bars, as mentioned above. I am a bit mystified by grab bars behind a seat, either a shower seat or a toilet seat. Perhaps useful in certain configurations when sitting down, but useless when standing.

Our sinks are too high. They are placed inside a cabinet with doors, which is ok, though I would like to be able to get my chair under the sink. Shelves with no doors that get in the way would be much better. Also, shelves accessible from either my chair or standing in my prosthetics would be better.

I like the previous suggestion of "no doors." Doors are difficult for me, at best. I do like door frames, though. They give me a place to grab when I need a rest or when I need extra help with a turn from my chair.

Hope this helps.

Here is what I would suggest after being a decorator for many years and living in AL for 4 years:
1: Grab bars in the shower on all three sides at a comfortable height. I am short, so the usual ADA height works fine for me and also worked for my husband who was 5'10".
2. Tile the entire floor so that you don't have to have either a lip or a squashable rubber thing at the entrance to the shower. I absolutely hate our shower because of this little thing you have to step over. Even though it was designed to allow someone to push a wheelchair over it, if you are walking into the shower it is easy to trip. There are also grooves in the floor of it for drainage. Unsafe. You can have your floor drain so that any water drains into the shower area, but the entire floor should slope slightly in this direction so that water from the shower doesn't run out while using OR CLEANING the shower. My brother actually built a guest shower this way in his beach home, and I love it!
3. There is a shower chair called Carousel that will swivel and glide. This is especially helpful if you are trying to bathe someone else. They just sit down in it facing outward. Then you push one button to glide them into the shower and another to then turn them a quarter turn to be facing the back or front of the shower. It's expensive, about $300, but worth every penny.
4. In our bathroom, we have a sink with no drawers underneath, but instead to the
side. The counter is long enough so that not only can I put a small free standing set of drawers the same color as the wood (Walmart), but there is enough room on the countertop to hold kleenex, lotion, etc. I even put a locking, 3 drawer, attractive, small filing cabinet underneath as well to hold my jewelry and other important things since theft is ALWAYS a problem in ALL the ALs. If you don't want to put it in the bathroom, it fits easily in a closet or little corner somewhere. Look at The Container Store for this and other organizational things.

5. There are some very attractive medicine cabinets with a mirrored front, or no mirror, that are available at Home Depot or online. This has been a life saver for me. I put all my medicines, hair spray, bandaids, and other things at a very handy level and yet out of sight. Also, since the cabinet is on a right angle wall to the left, I can open the mirrored door and see the back and sides of my hair when I am brushing so that I don't walk out with the "rat's nest" in the back I see on so many older women!
6.I love the heater in the ceiling right outside the shower. It's on a 30 minute timer, and even with the 9 ft ceiling, I can still feel the warm air when I am sitting in my chair to apply makeup.
7. If you go with a pedestal sink, which is OK if you HAVE to, but you will really miss your storage, especially for a woman. There are corner shelves you can buy at Home Depot for the essentials, but it's not the same as having drawers.
8. There are two grab bars by the toilet, one in back, (which I have never understood), and one on the side wall. While you can also use this side bar for hanging a towel, you will probably like a towel bar above it or at least on another wall. The placement of all the bars is regulated by the ADA requirements in commercial facilities, but you can do what you want in your home.
9. In my bathroom, there is a recessed area next to the rear of the shower with several shelves. This is wonderful for extra towels, diapers, bathmats, and anything else you need to keep close by. There is space underneath for a clothes basket for dirty clothes, or in my case, for my kitty's litter box! Hidden away from guests!
10. Make sure you have the door opening wide enough for a wheelchair. I would do 36". I have a friend who moved into Independent Living and promptly ran into the door frame while in her wheelchair and caused severe damage to her legs that she is still dealing with after 1 year.
11. The shower we have is a plastic one piece prefab. Terrible.

They sell ADA compliant toilets which is all they have (they are slightly higher than regular toilets) but my counter top is close enough to also serve as a means to help get up. Another grab bar was installed next to the toilet as well. you need grab bar to help get in and out of the shower (larger vertical type), and some horizontal ones for being IN the shower as well to help get up. and you need a shower chair. Those are pretty cheap you can get a Wal-Mart and a hand-held shower head.

Standing showers are absolutely God sent.

My suggestion is place the toilet paper in front of the toilet if possible. It can be hard to get to on the sides for people with stiff shoulders or shoulder damages. Some of the fancy stand-alone holders have a place to put the roll in use also.

I put in a bidet toilet seat attachment for cleansing and consider it essential in my situation with a senior. Have a wand attachment for your shower for spot showers and bird baths and have it hanging on the side, low, within easy reach, and it must have its own on/off control. I put a tension shower rod across my bathing space which I use to hang bath brushes (on plastic S-hooks), shampoos, body wash, everything is handy, plus the shower cleaners, as well as a washable receptacle for soap, toothbrushes, etc.

Thank you for planning ahead! As a rehabilitation specialist I occasionally worked with an architect who designed ADA home modifications for people with disabilities. When it came time to design the bathrooms in our home that would accommodate our mothers I had the benefit of his knowledge, as well as my own regarding ADA. My husband’s mom is a tall, big-boned woman who uses a wheelchair. My mom, 5’2’ and able to walk independently, although she uses a walker for longer distances (she tries to walk at least 1/4 mile daily). We installed a higher toilet, which worked for both. Also, zero-entry showers, large enough to allow an attendant’s help. Grab bars positioned horizontally, with (our nephew) an OT’s advice after evaluating both women. We found that both could use pedestal sinks comfortably, so these were installed. Rather than put in a shower seat, we use freestanding shower chairs. Also, freestanding toilet papers holders so they can access them however they need. Adjustable shower wands (some family members are really tall, others, really short) We did three bathrooms in a similar fashion, including our master because we are getting up there, and although in excellent health, we wanted our home to be comfortable for us as we age, and forfamily and friends. Additionally, the U-Shaped kitchen accommodates with plenty of wheelchair turnaround space, drawers for plates, etc so our moms can help unload (and load too) the dishwasher and put items away easily. Nothing looks institutional, as the bathrooms are nearly wet rooms tiled beautifully and the doorways are 36” wide in one suite. We used rocker switches instead of motion lights since those can light up inappropriately. Our home is a new build and our builder was very responsive to the design. My suggestion would be to consult ADA regs and an Occupational Therapist to meet your particular needs.

If u can’t find a high enough toilet we built a small platform 3-4inches off the tile Floor around our toilet. It sits between a wall and our shower so the area isn’t more than maybe 3x3 at most with the cutout circle for the drain/sewer line (sorry I am not technical) We put a grab bar set around it so my dad could grab if needed Didn’t want to use seat adjuster cushion because we only had one bathroom for everyone in home to use. We just used some plywood For the base/platform and covered it up with peel off vinyl tile squares. I believe there’s just a pvc extension pipe that connects the toilet down to the drain. The toilet sits securely in the platform and taller person can use it without much effort to sit and stand. We have squatty potty available so shorter people don’t have feet hanging. Since my dad was the one with a hip fracture and he’s 6’2” we wanted him to easily use it without all of us sitting on an raised extension cushion.

I used to work for a builder. One thing to keep in mind is that you need space to turn a wheelchair. If I recall, our ADA-compliant bathrooms had a 60" circle drawn in the bathroom floorplans to allow for wheelchair turning space.

With motion-detector lights, I HATE ours. I can't take a long bath at night anymore. And if your LO is in a wheelchair, motion-detector lights will consider the bathroom empty at all times. The detector is usually in the switch. I'd just make sure the grab bars are at the right height. And if your LO ever takes baths or you do a seat will interfere with that. Hand-held spouts are terrific.

Hello. I saw your post, and figured i would put some of my knowledge in.. i do home remodeling for a living.
I dont believe the grab bar for the shower has a requirement on the angle. Ive always done them at an angle. It feels more natural to grab. The important part is that it is screwed into the studs. Usually there is one on the back wall. Id also make sure things like toilet paper holder and towel holder are into studs. They usuallly just put them in drywall and they will rip right out.
The heights for toilet seats are pretty standardized. I think they have 2, maybe 3 sizes.. the taller is usually preffered since its easier to get up. Usually another grab bar is put in the wall next to the toilet.. another thing thats over looked alot is ADA compliant doors. Wheelchair accessable. If the doorway isnt at least 32, might as well do it now.
I dont know much about the shower seats.. if you have a little space, id have the tile guy build a permant seat in a corner.
A few other things.. when my dad was in facilities, i noticed they had something wrapped around any plumbimg from the walls, i wasnt sure if it was so they didnt hit their head on it, or if its tamper-resisitance. Take a little time to look at some light switches. They have tons now-a-days, built in night-light, motion activated, some have phone chargers in them.. and outlets by the toilet are getting really popular... Check out "slow close" hinges for cahinets and the toilet seat, so you wont hear slammig doors in the middle of the night

I would suggest that you talk with your plumber and have the type
used by most hotels and motels with the anti scald regulator on it. It will prevent the water temp being turn up whether by accident or intentionally.
They are cheap but really do work and you can still have your dishwasher at a higher temp if you like.
I was looking into one of these for my Luz. She only knew to turn the handle fully right or fully left. I did get in some jogging exercise when she would yell.
But she quit using the shower and used the step in tub only. And she loved that thing.

If your father is significantly taller than most people who use it, a practical answer might be an over-toilet frame with built-in raised seat. Let me see if I can see an actual product...

There are many. They are called "free standing toilet frame with raised seat."

The reason I am so happy when I see these is that:

they are height-adjustable
they are easy to clean
they are easy to remove
they are easy to put back again
they have good sturdy handles, and their stability is aided by the person's own weight
and, not least, because the inside of the raised seat sits below the actual toilet rim, there are no opportunities for, um, spillage shall we say.

Their only real drawback is where to put them when someone's using the bathroom who doesn't like sitting on it. But they're not heavy, and they fit easily enough in a standard shower cubicle while the loo is being cleaned, for example.

There is one other drawback, now I think of it: reaching behind oneself for personal care is difficult because of the limited space between person and raised seat; but as long as the person is able to stand and balance with one hand he'll be okay.

YOu may consider a wheelchair accessible shower.... geez.. I didn't think of that..

so many things... you just may want to take a tour of senior homes in your area to get an idea of what may or may not work for you.