Designing with aging in place in mind is very popular; in fact, we all have to face the inevitable of the beauty of getting older. In that process, design can help us transition in a really wonderful way. For example, it’s about paying attention to more space, especially when it comes to the bathroom area.
As professional designers, we’ve gotten creative with updating bathroom spaces to help the homeowner live in their forever home safely, independently, and comfortably. A popular aging in place design element is a walk-in shower where you don’t have to have a door. It’s easy access if you had to use a walker. We also use a linear drain in the shower, sloping the floor so that it’s easy access if you’re in a wheelchair; you could roll right in or out of the shower. Making the bathroom a complete fully tiled wet area to reduce slipping is also another great way of handling our aging in place designs.
Top 10 Aging in Place Bathroom Features
- Walk-in showers
- Shower benches
- Handheld showerheads
- Grab bars
- Pedestal sinks
- Lever handles
- Comfort height toilets
- Accessible shelving
- Non-slip flooring
- Hands-free faucets
Through the openness of the bathroom to make it easier to move to functional ability with open shower spaces and wet areas, it’s easy to incorporate aging in place elements into your design to comfortably transform your bathroom into the perfect space in your forever home.