3 Tips to Plan a Bathroom Remodel
A young Maria Lindbergh is sticking her tongue out at the camera while sitting on a porch swing with her sister and grandmother.
I grew up really close with my grandparents, especially my grandmother. I loved cooking with her and watching Turner Classic Movies.
Sunday mornings were the best because we’d eat donuts or Mexican bread and drink coffee with way too much sugar.
I miss those times when I’d walk through the front door and hear my grandparents cheer, “Yay, you’re here!”
Who doesn’t love their own cheering squad?
So it’s no surprise that I wanted to help my grandparents live at home instead of a nursing home when they came towards that part of their lives.
My mom and I worked hard to make sure all of their needs were met. We certainly learned a lot about what it takes to keep two nonagenarians in their own home!
And one of the most important lessons was making the bathroom as safe as possible.
I’m so happy to say that my grandparents never fell in the bathroom! As soon as my grandmother started telling us how scared she was to take her nightly bath, we sprang into action!
When you sit down and think about it, we, humans, spend a lot of time in the bathroom. We use it multiple times a day. We use it in the morning and right before we go to sleep.
We use the bathroom all the dang time!
Since we spend so much time with our best pal, the bathroom, it’s worthwhile to consider investing in a bathroom to serve your needs for a long time, like for the rest of your life.
You need a bathroom that’ll go the long haul with you. A bathroom that’s future-proofed to keep you out of a nursing home like the one we made for my dear grandmother.
Today, we’re going over three tips to plan a bathroom remodel for life! Watch the video or keep reading below!
1) Identify the User
The first step when planning a bathroom remodel is to answer the following questions:
Who’s going to use the bathroom?
How many family members will be using the bathroom daily?
What is the daily routine? What’re people doing in the bathroom?
Probably toileting and bathing. But what else? Are they sitting down and putting on makeup?
Are we taking medicine in the bathroom?
Get down to the dirty details!
Bathroom Remodel for My Grandparents
Photo: Pexels
Let’s take my grandparents as an example. My grandparents each had their own individual, small bathrooms.
Grandpa’s bathroom had a stall shower, a toilet, and a wall-mounted sink. He stood at the sink to shave, comb his hair, and brush his teeth.
When I asked Grandpa to demonstrate how he gets in and out of the shower, I noticed that he held onto the windowsill to help his balance. Grandpa also stood while showering and confessed to leaning against the shower wall to keep himself from slithering down to the floor.
Grandpa gave me some RED flags for potential bathroom falls!
Granny’s bathroom had a tub shower, toilet, and a vanity that was four feet long with ample storage for hygiene and grooming products. The toilet sat right next to the vanity, which made it easy for Granny to stay seated while doing her makeup, brushing and styling her hair, applying her White Diamonds body powder, and all the other daily beauty rituals she was accustomed to.
She loved taking a quick bath in the evenings before watching a couple of episodes of Golden Girls and then hitting the hay.
Granny felt scared that she was going to slip and fall in the tub shower, “I don’t want firemen to see me naked on the floor!”
I’m with you on that one, Granny!
Physically, my grandparents were pretty petite with Grandpa standing 5’2” and weighing around 120 lbs and Granny at 4’10” and weighing around 100 lbs. My point is this: we didn’t need to consider bariatric equipment for their small frames.
Mobility-wise, Grandpa occasionally used a cane in the house on days where he felt more unsteady and my grandmother used a four-wheeled walker all the time.
2) Consult with an Occupational Therapist.
Okay, once you’ve got the “who and the what”, I’d recommend hiring an occupational therapist or a home safety consultant.
Occupational therapists help people do daily activities that occupy their time, like going to the bathroom. We’re the bomb.com at helping people stay safe and independent with all the things they need and want to do!
We make recommendations based off of your abilities and you choose the options that you think will work best for you! We know that you’re the expert on you.
We’re cool like that.
Luckily for Granny and Grandpa, I used my occupational therapy skills in their bathrooms. I gave them options that worked for their abilities and their fixed-income. (All I asked for in return was continued love and support!)
3) Add a Little Bit More Space
Photo: Pexels
Oftentimes, the bathroom is one of the smallest rooms in the house.
It’d be best to have a 36 inch wide bathroom doorway and at least five feet of turning radius between the toilet, sink, and shower.
This kind of set up would help out if you were to ever need to use a walker or a wheelchair.
Trust me, I’ve seen so many people try to cram themselves into teeny tiny bathrooms with mobility devices. It’s not safe and it’s not pretty.
Bigger bathrooms are an investment that help you live at home for a lifetime.
I wish with all of my heart that we figured out a way to afford to remodel my grandparent’s bathrooms. I would’ve turned their teeny, tiny bathrooms into one large one with a barrier-free shower, toilet, and vanity with the ability to sit at the sink.
Fixed-incomes don’t allow for a lot of options for bathroom remodeling projects!
If you’re looking for ways to fund your bathroom remodel, take a look at my Financial Resource Page. It focuses on resources in Missouri and Kansas, but it includes other types of resources for you to consider.
Other Tips to Consider for Your Bathroom Remodel
Lever Handles
Install lever-style handles on the sink and shower faucets. They make it super easy to turn the water on/off, adjust water temperature, and change water pressure for people of all abilities, especially if you have pesky arthritis!
(FYI: I’m an Amazon affiliate. If you buy any of these products, I’ll receive an itty, bitty commission. Thank you!)
Shower Head with Hose
Install a shower head with a handheld shower head on a sliding rail for options for someone to stand or sit on a shower bench or chair.
Wet Room
Think about creating a wet room that includes the bathtub and shower with a waterproofed floor with a drain.
A handheld showerhead could spray water throughout the wet room and floor for cleaning!
Booyah!
You can separate the bathroom into a wet room and dry room to allow people to use the sink. This also saves money from waterproofing the entire bathroom!
Photo: HGTV
Non Slip Floor
Lastly, install non slip surfaces in all areas of the bathroom: floor, shower pan, and bathtub.
You can choose materials with non slip properties or use products like Slip Doctors anti-slip coating to prevent falls in the bathroom.
Conclusion
Involving an occupational therapist in your bathroom remodel will save you time and money while creating a bathroom for your specific needs!
It’s important to remodel your bathroom to make sure you can take care of yourself no matter if you experience illness or injury.
What’s your takeaway from this post? How are you going to future-proof your bathroom? Tell us in the comment section below!
Do you know someone who needs to use these tips? Share this post with them!
(Hey, did you know we have an awesome online course for people who have a hard time wiping after using the toilet? It’s an awkward topic that you can learn how to solve in the comfort and privacy of your own home! Learn more about the course HERE!)