How To Make Your Bathrooms Safer?
Bathrooms are used frequently throughout the day, and getting in and out of tubs and showers requires some precarious moves. This can make a bathroom a frustrating and even dangerous place for people with restricted mobility. As human beings live longer, more consideration must be given to making bathroom facilities safer and more accommodating as we age. Contractors and architects familiar with the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines can help determine the type of adaptation required in remodeling or new constructions. The extent of the adaptations will depend on whether the family member needs assistance from a caregiver to go about his or her daily routine or — although reduced in mobility — simply needs assistive devices to con¬tinue independent living.
Safe and accessible bathrooms should be designed with the following considerations.
Grab Bars
Bathtubs, shower stalls, and toilets should be equipped with grab bars mounted to the floor or wall. Grab bars in and next to the tub help family members maintain balance both in and out of the tub. Grab bars on both sides of the toilet provide more assured maneuvering. Grab bars can be anchored to the walls or attached, as add-on items, to the front edge of the bathtub. If you install the wall-mounted grab bars, be sure that the screws are anchored into wood studs or framing.
Tub Seats
A tub seat can provide stability in a shower stall or bathtub. If the tub seat is used in a bathtub, a flexible hose with showerhead attachment eliminates the need for immersion.
Walk-In Tubs/Roll-In Showers
Designed to eliminate the need for the user to climb into and out of the tub, walk-ins permit same-level passage from floor to tub. Roll-in showers are wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair.
Nonskid Flooring
Look for nonskid tiles when remodeling bathroom floors. Use nonskid mats and place no-slip decals on the bottom of tubs and shower stalls.
Single-Lever Faucet
Install a single-lever faucet that allows control of both water vol¬ume and temperature.
Antiscald Device
Adjust your water heater to 120 degrees Fahrenheit or less and install an antiscald device that automatically prevents water from becoming too hot.
The kitchen and bathroom are not the only places in the home in which accessibility is an important issue. Front doors, stairs, and hallways can be made safer for people of all ages and of varying levels of mobility.
