The bathroom can be the first room to highlight decreasing mobility as we age. This is because it’s a room equipped for a wide range of purpose and movements. Should your bathroom present new challenges, an accessible bathroom canl increase your freedom and independence. Here is an introduction to some of the most useful accessibility features for the bathroom:

GRAB BARS

Bathrooms require much physical activity – sitting, standing and moving about on wet surfaces.  All of these activities are easier and safer with grab bars.

Place grab bars next to toilets, and inside and next to bath tubs and showers. And they are now as beautiful as they are functional. Many bathroom lines now include grab bars with other bathroom accessories like towel racks and robe hooks, so they come in a large array of styles and finishes.

COMFORT-HEIGHT TOILETS

Make it easier to raise and lower yourself onto a toilet by increasing its height. Standard toilet height is 14 – 15” inches above the finished floor, while comfort-height toilets are 17 – 19” high. Those extra 3 – 5” inches of height can make a big difference with your knees, legs and balance.

Comfort-height toilets are quickly becoming a standard feature because they just make good sense, and now come in a wide variety of styles and colors to coordinate with most any bathroom interior design.

ROLL-UNDER SINK & VANITY

Clear floor space under a sink and vanity countertop creates room for a wheelchair, bench or chair. The recommended height for accessing a sink while seated is 34” maximum from the top of the counter to the floor, which needs a minimum clearance of 29” from the underside of the sink to the floor.

There is also the option of an adjustable sink that can be raised and lowered to the best height for the person using it. It can be operated manually or electronically with a remote control.

FAUCETS

Limited dexterity in your hands can easily be overcome with new sink fixtures. Single lever faucets operate with one hand and make it simple to adjust flow and temperature without using your fingers or wrist. There are also electronic faucets with sensors that detect when it’s time to turn the water off and on. They are very similar to ones you may have encountered in public restrooms, and while they are a bit more expensive, their total ease of use and water-saving efficiency makes them a good long-term investment.

LIGHTING
Aging eyes need plenty of light, so consider both overhead and task lighting for specific areas. Shower interiors with no windows can get pretty dark, which is a safety hazard; a waterproof light fixture inside the shower stall or above a tub and shower enclosure takes care of this problem.

Also keep in mind the light switches themselves. Moving switches to a lower spot on the wall makes them easy to reach from a seated position, and rocker-style switches make it simple to operate lights with the simple touch of a finger.

ACCESSIBLE SHOWERS
Removing the obstacle to getting into the shower is the goal of low-clearance or no-clearance shower. The roll-in version usually has three walls with one open side so a wheelchair can glide in, and the floor is sloped toward a drain flush with the surface. The walk-in version is essentially a four-sided box with a low-clearance threshold under the door.

BENCH SEATING
An important aspect of an accessible shower is a place to sit. For tighter spaces, a retractable bench can be mounted to the wall so it’s not in the way when not in use. If you’re opting for a complete remodel for an accessible shower, a built-in bench is a great option that benefits everyone who uses the shower.

HANDHELD SHOWERHEAD
Also known as hand showers, they have a hose attached to them so they can be removed from the wall and held in your hand. Some models are attached to a vertical bar so the height of the spigot can be adjusted for sitting or standing when used as a wall mount.

This is just a sample of the features that are available when remodeling your bathroom for accessibility. The Certified Aging In-Place Specialists (CAPS) at Mosby Building Arts are deeply experienced in accessible design (see their projects here) and will work with you on what options will be right for converting your bathroom for mobility. For ease of use in your bathroom, call the Mosby office at 314.909.1800 or contact them here.

50+ living in your own home is all about independent, barrier-free comfort and function.  It’s a form of accessibility that benefits all the generations of your family and friends who come into your home, which is why it is also known as Universal Design.

Remaining in your home requires thinking about how your life is currently, and what your needs might be for the future.  This is where a Certified Aging In-Place Specialist (CAPS) can assist you with the questions, designs and remodeling you will need to turn your house into a home for a lifetime.

Interior Accessible Design

A St. Louis couple had been in the same home for decades.  They had raised a family there, and their children and grandchildren all lived nearby.  Nearing retirement, they realized that they wanted to stay in their own home within the their community, but wanted to explore how to prepare the house for the years ahead.

Working with a Mosby Building Arts CAPS designer, they reviewed current needs and future concerns and decided to make the master bathroom their first mobility project because this where we tend to first notice changing capabilities.  Standing in the shower, the low height of a toilet bowl or operating the hot and cold taps on the sink becomes a bit more difficult.  There are many functional solutions to all of these issues, but it should also be attractive so that we are inspired by our surroundings.  Or as we say about all our CAPS remodeling projects: “Mobility Is Beautiful!”

To look at this bathroom, you would not immediately know that it’s accessible, but it certainly is.  The His and Hers bathroom vanities have single-lever faucet handles for ease of use, and are separated by a chair-height counter top with open space below.  This can accommodate a chair now or a wheelchair in the future.

The toilet is of taller height than average with a grab bar to the right which makes it easier to access, and comes with a push-button control pad mounted to the bathroom cabinet.

The walk-in shower has a low-clearance threshold, multiple brushed, stainless grab bars, a handheld shower wand and a retractable teak wood bench mounted to the wall.

See more photos of this accessible bathroom project.

All of these accessible master bathroom items can be used now for ease of use and security, and should there be a time when they need these features, having them already in place helps with these changes.  And at all times, it is a beautiful space that is already enhancing their lifestyle.

Exterior Accessible Design

We have a remodeling client that we’ve worked with on previous mobility projects.  She is currently vibrant and active, but is thinking ahead and prefers to be prepared.  We have moved her laundry room from the basement to a new ground floor addition off the garage, and even built new, shallow steps for easier access from the garage to the house (above).

She is also a veteran gardener with a gorgeous backyard, so we came up with designs to make her outdoor living just as accessible as indoors.  We designed and built a new patio with a lightly textured concrete surface for better traction, and a screen porch with a zero-clearance entry from the patio so that a walker or wheelchair.

Her favorite feature is the concrete ramp that takes one from the patio down into the garden.  She already enjoys how convenient the lack of steps is, which highlights how so many of the universal designs just make good sense for everyone who uses them.

See more photos of this project.

Other features that add mobility and beauty to outdoor living include increased lighting, raised flower planters and beds, raised height water spigots and wide sliding or French doors leading out to the area. When done properly, nothing looks out of the ordinary because it looks extraordinary.

Mosby Building Arts has three CAPS team members – including Scott Mosby who was the first national CAPS ambassador – who are certified and experienced at helping you live more comfortably in your home for all your days.  To explore your options for beautiful mobility, call us at 314.909.1800 or contact us here.