For people living with mobility conditions, carrying out daily activities in the bathroom can sometimes pose challenges. So, we’re looking at ways different rooms around the home can be improved with bathroom adaptations for the elderly and disabled. We’ve spoken with installation experts EA Mobility to get their tips and advice on how to make a bathroom more accessible, from small changes to bigger adaptation projects.
The standard bathrooms aren’t always the most accessible of places, which isn’t helped by wet surfaces and floors increasing the risk of slips and falls. But it’s one of the rooms in the home that everyone in the family uses, often multiple times a day.
Depending on your needs, you may not need to spend much money to help make your bathroom safer and more accessible. With our affordable bathroom mobility aids, you can get the support you need with our high-quality products.
Smaller bathroom adaptations for the elderly and disabled
Grab rails
Bathroom grab rails are a useful support in any area of the house where you might need a little extra help to maintain your balance. You can put these wherever you need them in the bathroom to give you something to hold onto, whether that’s extra support and stability while you get in or out of the bath or shower or support to help you pull yourself up from the toilet.
Tips from the experts:
Consider what size grab rail you need and where it’s going to be located. There are several different sizes and styles available to choose from.
Check the strength of the wall the grab rail will be fixed to – it’ll need to be fixed to a solid wall.
How good are your DIY skills? You’ll need someone competent at DIY to install the grab rail properly.
Tap turners
Finding it tricky to turn your taps on and off? Tap turners could be just the thing to help. Instead of going to the trouble of fitting entirely new taps to your sinks, these aids for washing and bathing are an inexpensive option that helps make it much easier to turn a tap as they offer extra leverage.
Some tap turners are also colour-coded to help you distinguish at a glance between your hot and cold taps.
Medium bathroom adaptations for the disabled and elderly
Shower seats
If you find standing up for long periods difficult, a shower chair may be the answer. A shower seat will give you a space to sit in comfort while you enjoy your shower, helping to reduce your risk of falling and stay more independent.
These bathroom adaptations for the elderly and disabled can either be free-moving chairs that you can move in and out of the shower as needed, or you can get versions which can be permanently attached to the wall.
Tips from the experts:
Shower seats that are designed to be permanently attached to the wall will need to be done so by a handyman or qualified professional.
Bath boards
Bath boards can help make it a little easier to get into the bath and also give you a place to sit and rest if your shower is over the tub. These bathroom seating aids usually attach to the bath itself or are designed to rest across it, so they can be moved as needed. It’s very important to make sure it’s fitted correctly before use.
Make sure to double-check that the size of the board is right for the size of your bath, so you don’t end up with a board that doesn’t fit.
Bath seats
Bath seats are similar to bath boards in that they’re bathroom aids designed to go in the tub. Some are more like stools with pads on the bottom to fix them to the bath, others stretch across the bath, and some are chairs that can swivel, so it’s a little easier to transfer to and from the bath.
Tips from the experts:
Will the bath seat give you sufficient upper body support? Not all bath seats have backrests, so consider your needs carefully.
Think about how the bath seat is attached to the bath and whether or not you will need help to set it up.
Bath lifts
If you love a bath but find it very difficult to get yourself into and out of the tub, then a bath lift may be an option to consider. Bath lifts and hoists are designed to gently lower you down into the bath so you can enjoy a relaxing soak and then raise you up again once you’re finished.
With a bath lift, you simply sit on the chair, lift your legs into the bath, and then use the supplied controls to lower yourself into the bath, making sure to adjust your leg position as it moves.
Toilet frames
Getting on and off the toilet can be a struggle for some. If this sounds familiar, you may want to consider a toilet frame. Toilet frames are toilet mobility aids that fit around your existing toilet, providing extra leverage to help you pull yourself up off the toilet or sit down on it. Some also come with a raised toilet seat as well, so you won’t have to lower yourself as far when using the toilet.
Larger bathroom adaptations for the elderly and disabled
Walk-in showers
If you have a bath in the room that’s going unused due to inaccessibility, you may want to consider a walk-in shower in its place. Walk-in showers are a brilliant option for anyone who finds it tricky to use standard baths or showers, as they can be modified to suit all levels of mobility and give you direct access to the shower without having to open or close any doors.
Professional installers should even be able to fit a walk-in shower in the same place as your bath, which means you may not need to go to the trouble of modifying the rest of your bathroom (assuming it’s fit for your needs).
Tip from the experts:
Before deciding on what walk-in shower to get, think about what height of step you can manage at the moment. Be honest with yourself: would even a small step become a challenge in the future? These considerations can help make sure you get a bathroom solution that lasts and isn't one you’ll need to rethink again soon afterwards.
When thinking about how to make a bathroom more accessible, look for a specialist company that can help make sure you get the right walk-in shower to match your needs and fit it for you.
Wet rooms
Wet rooms are the most accessible style of bathroom, ideal if you have limited mobility or need wheelchair access. It’s a great option to help future-proof your bathroom set-up if you’re starting to find it increasingly difficult to get up steps and worry about falling or getting stuck when using the bath.
Choose a specialist company to help with your wet room fitting, one that specialises in accessibility, so you can be sure you’re building the right bathroom to match your needs.
All the help you need from Complete Care Shop
Looking for more tips and advice on home adaptations for the elderly and disabled? Choose the room you need help with below:
If you have any more questions about which bathroom adaptations are best for you, we will be more than happy to help. To assist you throughout your day-to-day life, we also stock many mobility aids and seating aids to make daily tasks in other rooms around the house much easier and more comfortable.
If you have any questions, consider getting in touch with our UK-based customer service team who are happy to help.