How Can You Improve Bathroom Accessibility for Parents Who Are Elderly?

Aging is never an easy process. Unfortunately, watching parents lose mobility as they get older can be tough. People usually want their parents to enjoy their golden years, and that often means ensuring they have as much independence as possible. However, basic hygiene needs are one area where decreased mobility can make life especially challenging.

Whether your parents live on their own or with you, you might want ways to make their bathroom more accessible, easier to use, and safer. While you have plenty of options to accomplish this goal, many start with the bath or shower. Below, you will find three options for making a bathroom more senior-friendly by upgrading their tub or shower enclosure.

1. Upgrade Shower or Tub Safety Features

If your senior parent still has some mobility, you can upgrade their enclosure along with added simple safety features. When upgrading a shower or tub, keep these three primary goals in mind:

• Easier access to the tub or shower
• Reduced fall risk
• Greater comfort while bathing

Simple safety upgrades to a new shower can include grab bars or interior seats. These items are usually available in various designs and styles, so you can choose options that match your current bathroom décor. You might also consider detachable showerheads or grab rails.

If your older parent still has most of their mobility, taking relatively small steps like this can help them feel more comfortable without significantly modifying their current shower or tub layout with a new walk-in option. However, transitioning to a walk-in is usually a better choice once mobility becomes a significant issue.



2. Install a Walk-In Shower Enclosure

Walk-in shower enclosures are an excellent and often beautiful way to make a bathroom friendlier for anyone with reduced mobility. One of the best parts of walk-in showers is that they can fit in nearly any bathroom, and you can design one in almost any style. A walk-in can blend seamlessly into a bathroom's décor, looking more like a luxurious upgrade than an accessibility consideration.

Of course, you will also want to ensure that the new shower works well to allow your parents to access it easily and independently. Typical options include wider doors to improve access as well as grab handles in several locations. These handles should provide places to grip when exiting and entering the shower and when moving around inside of it.

One potentially overlooked option with walk-in showers is that they can help maintain or increase the value of a home. This factor is worth considering if your parents may not be living in their home long-term.

3. Upgrade to a Walk-In Tub

Walk-in tubs are the ultimate option for accessibility. Tubs may work better than showers for people with significant mobility issues since they will not need to stand at any point while using them. While you can install a stool in a walk-in shower, manufacturers design walk-in tubs from the ground up for seated bathing.

Tubs also include numerous features that can help prevent falls, so you rarely have a need to install additional grab handles or other measures. Of course, if you choose a tub without these features, you can still add them in later. Warm water soaks in a tub may also provide some therapeutic benefits if your parents have arthritis or other forms of persistent pain.

Whichever option you choose, Midwest Bath Co. can help make the bathroom a safer and more comfortable place for your parents. Give us a call to discuss the best options for your specific needs. We are happy to provide full tub or shower enclosure replacements for anyone who needs them. We look forward to helping you.