Bathroom Safety Features That Support Your Style

BY DESIGN Builders Aloha from Maui,
Thank you so much for featuring our Universal Design bath photos in your article. Universal Design takes accessibility and makes it beautiful.
We truly enjoy creating these unique spaces for our clients.
Aloha,
BY DESIGN custom remodeling
www.bydesignmaui.com

lyvia Excellent ideabook! Grab bars are so helpful for everyone.

Michelle When my 100th year old Dad came from France to live with us, our priority was his safety. So we built a large extension in order for him to live on the main floor. All the doors were to be 36 inches wide, in case he would need a wheelchair in the future, and we planned in advance where all the grab bars were to be in his bathroom.
The nurse recommended the slanted position of the grab bar by the shower bench, and one by the toilet, and it works perfectly. The vertical one by the faucets is also a must in terms of safety, as well as the wide shower door and none slippery mosaic.Those bars actually add to the design of the room.

THE MAUI CLOSET COMPANY beautiful work, actually amazing. Hope you enter your photos in a design magazine. You do wonderful work. Aloha, Debbie

Michelle Thanks Debbie!

Pangaea Interior Design, Portland, OR Michelle -- very nice job. Pretty and so open looking. Interesting that the nurse recommended the slanted position when ADA guidelines say not to do it. But I do understand how the gradual incline helps a person keep pulling themselves up.

Did the nurse ever bring up curbless with you? I am currently doing a new bathroom for people who are not disabled, but want to stay in their house for good. The husband really resisted the thought of curbless because he couldn't imagine not being able to step over a curb. I had to point out that no matter how strong he is now, no wheelchair can go over a curb ... and someday he may not be as strong as he is now. We are going with a curbless design ...but they opted for no grab bars for the time being. Decided to put the money into heated floors. We'll get the grab bars in there eventually.

Pangaea Interior Design, Portland, OR By Design -- You're welcome. That's a very cool bathroom project and proof that universal doesn't have to look institutional. Beautiful!

vikk Such good ideas, we are in our 60's building a new home and will see that some of these idesa are in it. We have the wide door ways and hall and built the down stairs to later have have a lift , if required. Never thought of the slanted grab bars, going to talk to the builder. Thanks so much.

Amanda Fossum Design There are so many beautiful ways to make a home work FOR you instead of AGAINST you! I recommend installing the stability bars and curbless showers for anyone thinking of doing a bath project.

atrrepair Very creative. I love the function without looking gaudy. I am 49 but in the future this could really help me.

Michelle Hi Pangea,

I think the ADA guide lines you are referring to apply essentially to Institutions and public buildings, but not to private homes. Anyway, that is the case in Canada. Regarding the slanted position of a grab bar by a shower bench or a toilet, it makes sense, because this way, the hand is aligned to the forearm and has more strength to pull without twisting the wrist. I bought these grab bars from a specialized store and they are totally non slippery. Actually, you might notice that this is the way grab bars are fastened to the wall in public restrooms, for handicapped people.

As for the curbless shower, the nurse didn't think it was important, as long as the curb was no higher than two inches. The important feature was the wide shower door, swinging both inwards and outwards, to allow her to safely help my Dad, to get in or out of the shower. Personally, I have never heard of anybody going into the shower with a wheelchair.

Another important practical feature to consider for elderly people is the pedestal sink, instead of the vanity. I realized it with my Mom, when she was in a wheel chair, at the end of her life. The vanity would have prevented her from getting close to the brim of the sink, while with the pedestal sink, she could do it easily.

Michelle

Pam Wojcik Thank you so much for recommending UNIVERSAL DESIGN (like ADA) for the residence. Many of my former houses were remodeled to this better access, but looked totally contemporary, not like a hospital. Our current August 2011 purchase was SIMILARLY remodeled . Breaking a leg, having MS, or even the Flu can render a person appreciative of freer access when occupying the bathroom: pocket door, open base vanity, single lever faucets, hand held shower heads on a vertical bar, low curb, wide shower opening and floor space, and a flip -up seat.
All towel bars are installed to support a minimum of 250 pounds. The big box stores carry them in short lengths, and the internet carries the longer ones. I just finished posting on HOUZZ our project :LAKE RIDGE REMODEL. Pam Wojcik

Pangaea Interior Design, Portland, OR Michelle -- Thank you so much for checking back in and sharing more about the bathroom you fitted out for your father. You are absolutely correct that ADA guidelines are rules for making public facilities accessible to people of all abilities. The reason I bring them up when talking about residences is because they are a wealth of information on what it takes to create accessibility for anyone who needs the help. They don't need to be followed in a residence. You do whatever suits your particular needs as you did for your father's specific requirements. However, if you are putting in a bathroom for a home that you plan to stay in for good, and nobody has disabilities at the moment, just following the general guidelines should assure that you create a bathroom you won't ever find yourself unable to use.

Glad you brought up the specific part about the wheelchair access. There are people using wheelchairs who are perfectly able to go into a shower and without assistance, transfer themselves out of the wheelchair into a shower chair as long as there are grab bars, a shower chair, and sufficient room to maneuver their wheelchair in close to the shower chair. Being able to roll in to the shower allows them the independence and dignity of handling their own washing without the need for a helper or family member. Also, there are bariatric rolling shower chairs which can be used for people who cannot stand in the shower. The lack of a curb would be essential for these also.

A pedestal sink is an excellent choice for accessibility as is a wall mounted sink.

Pangaea Interior Design, Portland, OR Pamela -- You are definitely thinking ahead. You don't have to be old or ill to find yourself glad to have a grab bar. A slip and fall can happen to anyone as can all the other things you mentioned. Thank you for sharing the photos of your bathroom remodel. It's a nice, open space! I really like the idea of using the grab bars to hold the towels. It's just added safety all the way around. Such pretty pocket doors too. Love that they let in light, but still give privacy.

janbhan The grab bars could double up as towel rails too, if big enough.
I loved the fold-up teak seat and the wooden rail too. Now at the age when I have consider my own safety, I have designed my tiny bathroom so there is always something to grab hold of! I am looking for something elegant to replace the clinical grab in the shower.
When visiting, consider putting a towel on the floor of the shower to prevent slipping. Even supposedly non slip floors can be really slick when there is shampoo or oil around. Many homes don't provide for the elderly or disbabled until they have to; I think housing rules should make one disabled-friendly bathroom mandatory.

Landa Design Several of the pics show grab bars, but they are inappropriate, although aesthically pleasing. ADA allows only 1-1/2" to 1-1/4" between the bar and the wall. The reason for this is if someone slips and his/her elbow/arm goes behind the bar and they cannot get up, they will be hanging on the bar. This is important to remember and very necessary to know if you are planning for someone who lives alone.

finishdreams Great pictures on this thread! I am in the process of talking to contractors to outfit a bath for my 88 y.o. mom. I have a few detail-oriented questions for those who have been-there-done-that.

Michelle - I am trying to plan for a built-in bench like yours. Is your shower a standard 5 foot wide area? Did you need to look very hard for a spray handle that reaches to the seat?

Pam - I would love to know the manufacturer and model for your tile choices. I LOVE the pebble shower with white subway tile! My mother's tastes run toward traditional, while our home is quite modern. I think this combo is a winner to meet both of our needs!

Wayne Caswell "Great examples. Thanks, Pangea. For other ideas about technologies for aging-in-place, check out Modern Health Talk (http://mHealthTalk.com)."

LUXE Linear Drains, LLC Great Article - Thanks for sharing - Universal Design and Aging in Place elements will only evolve and become more prominent in future home designs. Everyone can benefit directly or indirectly from these implementations by enjoying better quality of life.

eztia Rough texture tile with a "rain" shower head and a single lever control at ADA wheelchair accessible height works well. A canvas shower curtain helps with the occasional draft. One might also consider having the option to transfer onto a standard hospital shower seat rather than staying in a wheelchair. It is easier for a caregiver to wash the person's back. Remember the turning radius! Also consider having the water temperature set so that the shower head water is never more than 100 degrees Farenheit. No burns due to accidental scalding.

When sitting in a wheelchair, the person's feet do not touch the radiant heat flooring. Consider wall mounted moveable radiant heat panels. I know that they looked like canvas art when we used them in the pediatric exam rooms years ago. They were about 24 by 36 inches, and one inch thick. They get nice and warm, but one cannot burn oneself by touching it. I suppose the panels could be made permanent. Anything is possible these days! Consult an occupational therapist and someone who is current with ADA standards, and then have a fun time with your architect and designer!

The bath that I have used is done up in Tuscan style. Gorgeous tile detailing, but we did use a beach towel on the floor to keep from slipping.

gharatani I found this group http://medcottage.com/ offering a pretty decent package, though the bathroom could use some design help. Of course, they are addressing indigent care, not so much interior design services. Worth browsing the photos though. http://www.flickr.com/photos/medcottage/4858031759/in/photostream Thanks for the great article.