Small Bathroom Remodel to Prevent Falls
Well, hello there! Do you like looking at other people’s bathrooms?
You know I do!
I have a couple of grandmother figures in my life who asked me to help them make small changes in their bathroom. And of course, I jumped to the occasion!
I love helping people stay safe while toileting and showering. We don’t want our loved ones falling to the ground when they’re just trying to take care of themselves!
I’m really excited to show you the simple changes we made to this bathroom to inspire you. Maybe you can make similar changes to your bathroom at home!
Watch the video below or keep reading to learn what we did!
Toilet height to prevent falls
When you’re making changes to the bathroom, you want to think about your body shape and height.
My dear “grandma” is under 5’, 4”. The toilet that’s in her bathroom is a regular height toilet, meaning from the floor to the top of the toilet seat is 16” tall. This height is perfect for her! It’s not too tall and it allows for her feet to be flat on the ground while she’s sitting.
To figure out the best toilet seat height for you, read this article.
It’s so important to have your feet flat on the ground because that gives you good balance while wiping. Plus, you feel more comfortable when you feel supported instead of having your feet dangle.
No one likes to have the toilet seat pressing against the back of their legs! Ouch!
When my grandmother is standing up and sitting down, the toilet height is good for her and she doesn’t need a grab bar. If she were to need any extra help with standing up and sitting down on the toilet, we’d look into putting a toilet safety frame on the toilet stool (They’re like armrests for the toilet). She’d be able to push her hands down on the armrests when getting on and off the toilet.
I’m not a fan of people pushing against the sink vanity to stand up and down because it causes strain on the shoulder joint. If you currently do this, please consult with your friendly neighborhood occupational therapist to figure out a different way to get on and off the toilet.
The last thing to note is my grandma can easily reach the toilet paper while she’s sitting on the toilet. It’s placed on the right side of the toilet because she’s right handed. No overreaching, twisting, and straining to grab that TP!
Shower remodel to prevent falls
Curbless shower picture by Unsplash
First, I want to explain some of the circumstances surrounding the shower and the reasons why we made the certain changes.
This shower is located in the basement and underneath the vinyl flooring is the cement foundation. There’s no extra room to go down in the floor to create a curbless shower.
Curbless shower entries allow you to walk or roll into the shower without stepping over ledges or thresholds. There’s nothing in the way! You pretty much just walk or roll seamlessly across the floor to enter the shower.
Curbless showers are wonderful for people who want to live at home for a lifetime. Because this shower was located in the basement, we weren’t able to convert it into a curbless shower. If we were on another level in the home, we definitely could’ve made a curbless shower.
The basement walls are made with drywall installed into smaller studs within the foundation wall. This didn’t give us a lot of options for using different materials for the shower. We used a fiberglass shower kit with incredibly thin walls about 1/16” wide. It was the most affordable and easiest to install at the time.
If you’re planning on remodeling your shower at home to be more accessible, please keep the current home structure in mind!
Grab Bar at the Shower Entry to prevent falls
The number one place to fall at home is when you’re stepping out of the shower (CDC, 2011).
To make sure you stay on your feet, install a grab bar vertically outside of your shower entry. As you’re stepping out of the shower, pull the grab bar towards you. This helps your balance!
We installed a vinyl-coated grab bar by Ponte Giulio on the outside of my grandmothers’ shower. Vinyl-coating feels warm to the touch; this helps my grandmothers out because they have peripheral neuropathy from cancer treatments. They’ll feel more comfortable touching vinyl-coating compared to the pain they would feel from cold, stainless steel grab bars.
Plus the vinyl-coating gives you a sturdy grip. You won’t feel your hands slipping around the grab bar.
We chose a black grab bar because you can clearly see it against the pink and white walls of the bathroom. We don’t want to blindly grope for a white grab bar against a white wall!
Robe Hooks to prevent falls
We placed a robe hook close to the shower entry for my grandmothers to easily reach their towel or robe. This helps keep them warm and keeps their balance by not overreaching for things they need!
Shower Chair to prevent falls
My grandmothers feel tired while standing in the shower and often feel like they need to rush to get out as quick as possible. This is a perfect recipe for a fall!
It’s normal to feel tired during showers because the warm water makes your blood vessels open, which makes you feel sleepy.
I wanted them to be able to rest and relax during their shower, so we put in a shower chair with a backrest and armrests. Sitting down to shower helps keep you safe so that you can focus on getting cleaned up at a slower pace.
With the fiberglass shower kit, we weren’t able to mount a shower chair that folds up and down. (We didn’t want to risk cracking the fiberglass wall to make sure the shower seat would be fully load bearing!)
I prefer installing folding shower seats because it gives you the option to fold down the shower seat and sit or keep it folded against the wall to not use it.
It’s a space saver!
Magnetic Handheld Shower Head to prevent falls
When you’re sitting down and showering, it’s important to have everything you need within reach, including the water controls! You want to stay seated while you’re washing your hair, face, back, arms, legs, and feet. Stay seated and lean side to side or stand up to clean your private parts!
We installed a magnetic handheld shower head by Ponte Giulio. The magnet is so strong that Ponte Giulio recommends contacting your cardiologist if you have a pacemaker before installation.
The magnetic handheld shower head allows you to place the shower head where ever you need it. In this shower, we moved the shower head towards the bottom so it was easier to reach while my grandmas sat in the shower chair. If they wanted to stand and shower, they could move the shower head at a taller height.
The tubing on the handheld shower head becomes more flexible with warm water, so you’re not fighting a stiff hose.
There’s a little hook at the end of the magnetic bar for you to hang a loofah or washcloth! It’s so handy!
Did you like these shower remodel tips to prevent falls?
These small changes made a BIG difference for my grandmothers! They feel safer while showering and more confident in their ability to take care of themselves.
It means a lot to me to help them keep their dignity! I want everyone, no matter your age or ability, to have the same experience in the bathroom.
What changes have you made to your bathroom? Please share your tips in the comments below! And make sure to share this blog post with a friend who feels scared to fall in their bathroom!
(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!)