Age In Place Bath

Aging in place for the older generation can be hazardous, particularly poorly planned bathrooms. With slick tiles, shower thresholds that are harder to step over, and lack of the necessary aids, it is no wonder The New York Times raises the thought that the bathroom is the most dangerous room in the home. It is very dangerous to use a generic towel bar or even door knob to steady oneself or gain leverage, and now the options to help are more readily available than every before. The new grabs bars for example, don’t look like the institutional styles that first come to mind. B in the image above is a grab bar and paper holder in one. Also see A in the image above:

The Moen LR2356DBN for example shown here can hold 250 lbs when secured to studs (the attachment spacing on this grab bar is a convenient 16″ on center). This grab bar also acts as a soap and shampoo holder, see; functional and looks great. Other ideas are low or zero threshold showers with seating, and good lighting. If you are thinking about having a bathroom renovated to suite these needs, there may be a Certified Age-In-Place Specialist (CAPS) in your area (see here). So keep singing in the shower folks, and stay safe.