Most bathrooms are designed for people without physical challenges. If you now need an accessible bathroom for yourself or another family member, the conversion isn’t that difficult. The changes made transform your bathroom both in appearance and usability.
Tub Becomes Wheelchair Shower
Remove the tub. Level the floor and change the surround and the drain. Add a bench seat at the same level as most wheelchairs for easier transfers into the shower or wheel the wheelchair right into the shower when there’s no lip or step to trip up the wheels as you enter. Shower chairs can roll in easily too.
Grab Bars Everywhere
Independence is so important to the quality of life. Everyone wants to do for themselves as much as they can, and do it safely. Add grab bars at seated level in the shower and out of the shower. Install grab bars around the toilet. Place them anywhere someone is likely to reach for help and grab on. They will help prevent slips and falls.
Sink Lowered to Wheelchair Height
Many sinks are too high for someone sitting in a wheelchair to reach the handles and turn on the water. Lower the sink to the right heigh, place handles in a different spot of the sink or install touchless sensor faucets to make it easier to wash hands. There may be some other options to make the sink accessible. Talk to your remodeler about what else you can do to change the sink area.
Install an Easy to Transfer Toilet
There are toilets that make it easier to transfer from the wheelchair to the toilet seat. Swap out the toilet you currently have for a toilet that you or your special needs family member can easily transfer to when needed. It will make this so much easier, especially if you have the grab bars on both sides of the new toilet.