Aging Gracefully: Adapting Your Bathroom to Your Changing Needs

Kohler Elevance Rising Wall Tub

Age offers us the copious benefits of internal growth: wisdom and experience, sophistication and poise, serenity and stability. However, age also presents new challenges, such as limited vision and mobility. You may be facing these challenges currently or anticipating them in the future. No matter your changing needs, there is a way to for you to maintain control and independence—by aging in place.

The practice of “aging in place” means you can remain in your home for as long as possible. This can be achieved by making some modifications to your living spaces, such as creating wider hallways, improving lighting, and building easily accessible cabinets.

Thinking about adding aging in place home modifications? It’s typically recommended that you start with the bathroom—the most dangerous room in the house. Read on for our needs-based guide to aging in place bathroom adaptations.

Vision

As we age, our vision changes. Our ability to focus on nearby objects decreases, and our vision takes on a yellow tint. Depth perception is made more challenging. Additionally, it becomes more difficult to see in dim lighting. Fortunately, there are a variety of bathroom solutions for visual challenges related to aging.

• Bright lighting. Opt for bright lighting on your ceiling, wall, mirror and medicine cabinets. This helps prevent accidents associated with dim lighting and makes it easier to complete everyday tasks.
• Contrasting colors. Prevent accidental spills and injuries by contrasting your countertop with your floor. This will improve your ability to distinguish countertop edges.
• Low thresholds. With nearsightedness, it may be difficult to perceive changes in level. Reduce your chance of falling in the bathroom with low shower and doorway thresholds.

Mobility

Reduced mobility can occur due to illness, injury or lack of physical exercise. Maintaining open floor space in the bathroom makes it easier to move around with a wheelchair or walker. Additionally, there are a variety of bathroom fixtures and accessories than can help solve mobility challenges.

• Wall-mounted sinks. This type of sink is hung from the wall, and thus can be positioned at a height that is optimal for the homeowner. It also opens up floor space for wheelchairs and walkers.
• Grab bars. Make it easier to transition from your wheelchair or walker to your toilet, bathtub or shower with a grab bar. Grab bars are available in a variety of styles and finishes, ensuring they’ll match the décor of your bathroom.
• Elevated toilets. The standard toilet height is 14 inches. An elevated toilet is typically 16-18 inches tall, making for a more comfortable sit.

Fine Motor Control

Joint stiffness and decreased vision can affect your ability to grip handles or hold everyday items. For improved comfort, choose items with handles that can be easily opened with low physical effort. Bathroom accessories that can help with fine motor challenges include:

• Easy-to-grip faucet handles. A single-handle faucet is optimal for joint stiffness, as it requires less effort to operate. Better yet is a touchless faucet, which is activated by motion sensors. If you prefer the look of a double-handle faucet, opt for lever or blade handles rather than knobs.
• U-shaped pull cabinet hardware. A U-shaped pull is easy to grip and allows for assistance from your wrists and arms.
• Liquid soap dispenser. A sturdy liquid soap dispenser with a pump is simple to use, requires low physical effort, and prevents spills.

Memory

Absentmindedness and memory loss may occur with aging, so it’s important to turn your bathroom into a safe space. Use memory reminders and try to automate tasks as much as possible to help those with memory loss. Helpful bathroom tips for this condition include:

• Water temperature control. Prevent scalds by using thermostatic mixing valves. These prevent your hot water from getting to a scalding temperature. You can also adjust your water heater to 120 degrees Fahrenheit—although keep in mind that this will affect the temperature of your entire household’s hot water supply.
• Cabinet locks. Hazardous chemicals and sharp items can be locked away with a secure cabinet lock to prevent injury.
• Keep important items in designated cabinet or vanity drawers. Try to automate daily routines as much as possible by placing objects meant for certain activities in their designated drawers. For example, medication (along with instructions) could be place in one drawer, while personal hygiene items could be placed in another drawer.

Crawford Supply Group is committed to providing Bath & Kitchen products that are universally accessible for our customers. Visit a Crawford Supply Group showroom, located in Illinois, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, to view our wide aging in place product selection. You can also set up a free Showroom Consultation with one of our knowledgeable team members.