How to make your bathroom more accessible

For people living with mobility conditions, carrying out daily activities in the bathroom can sometimes pose challenges. So, we’re looking at ways different rooms around the home can be improved with bathroom adaptations for the elderly and disabled. We’ve spoken with experts from our installations partner, EA Mobility, to get their tips and advice on how to make a bathroom more accessible, from small changes to bigger adaptation projects.

The standard bathrooms aren’t always the most accessible of places, which isn’t helped by wet surfaces and floors increasing the risk of slips and falls. But it’s one of the rooms in the home that everyone in the family uses, often multiple times a day.

Depending on your needs, you may not need to spend much money to help make your bathroom safer and more accessible. With our affordable bathroom mobility aids, you can get the support you need with our high-quality products.

Smaller bathroom adaptations for the elderly and disabled

Grab rails

Bathroom grab rails are a useful support in any area of the house where you might need a little extra help to maintain your balance. You can put these wherever you need them in the bathroom to give you something to hold onto, whether that’s extra support and stability while you get in or out of the bath or shower or support to help you pull yourself up from the toilet.

Medium bathroom adaptations for the disabled and elderly

Shower seats

If you find standing up for long periods difficult, a shower chair may be the answer. A shower seat will give you a space to sit in comfort while you enjoy your shower, helping to reduce your risk of falling and stay more independent.

These bathroom adaptations for the elderly and disabled can either be free-moving chairs that you can move in and out of the shower as needed, or you can get versions which can be permanently attached to the wall.

Bath boards

Bath boards can help make it a little easier to get into the bath and also give you a place to sit and rest if your shower is over the tub. These bathroom seating aids usually attach to the bath itself or are designed to rest across it, so they can be moved as needed. It’s very important to make sure it’s fitted correctly before use.

Make sure to double-check that the size of the board is right for the size of your bath, so you don’t end up with a board that doesn’t fit.

Bath seats

Bath seats are similar to bath boards in that they’re bathroom aids designed to go in the tub. Some are more like stools with pads on the bottom to fix them to the bath, others stretch across the bath, and some are chairs that can swivel, so it’s a little easier to transfer to and from the bath.

Toilet frames

Getting on and off the toilet can be a struggle for some. If this sounds familiar, you may want to consider a toilet frame. Toilet frames are toilet mobility aids that fit around your existing toilet, providing extra leverage to help you pull yourself up off the toilet or sit down on it. Some also come with a raised toilet seat as well, so you won’t have to lower yourself as far when using the toilet.

Larger bathroom adaptations for the elderly and disabled

Walk-in showers

If you have a bath in the room that’s going unused due to inaccessibility, you may want to consider a walk-in shower in its place. Walk-in showers are a brilliant option for anyone who finds it tricky to use standard baths or showers, as they can be modified to suit all levels of mobility and give you direct access to the shower without having to open or close any doors.

Professional installers should even be able to fit a walk-in shower in the same place as your bath, which means you may not need to go to the trouble of modifying the rest of your bathroom (assuming it’s fit for your needs).

All the help you need from Complete Care Shop

Looking for more tips and advice on bathroom adaptations for the elderly and disabled? You can download our full guide for help on the changes you can make to the rest of your home or choose the room you need help with below:

• Bedroom
• Hallways and entrances
• Kitchen
• Living room

Alternatively, if you’re not sure where to start on how to make a bathroom more accessible, see our Home Living Consultation Service where a registered Occupational Therapist will assess your needs and offer recommendations for changes you can make.

If you have any more questions about which bathroom adaptations are best for you, we will be more than happy to help. To assist you throughout your day-to-day life, we also stock many mobility aids and seating aids to make daily tasks in other rooms around the house much easier and more comfortable.

If you need help deciding if a particular aid is right for you, consider getting in touch with our Expert Advice Service where one of our occupational therapists will be able to advise you. For any other queries and support, don’t hesitate to contact us.