How to make a bathroom grandparent friendly

 How to make a bathroom grandparent friendly – let’s take a look

I was recently commissioned by Mobility Plus to give my thoughts on how a bathroom could be made grandparent friendly. The Mobility Group are the leading company in the design and installation of specialist bathrooms for those with reduced mobility, primarily the elderly or those with injuries.

 

 

How to make a bathroom grandparent friendly

Here are my top tips to make your bathroom just perfect for anyone who needs a little extra support

The importance of accessible design

I find this a fascinating topic actually because I have a huge interest in accessible design. When I was a child my grandma had several strokes and ended up predominately loving in her bed in the living room of her house. We had so many access issues and in a lot of ways, she became housebound. More recently My husbands Grandma, who maintained living independently till 98 also had access issues in her home. Some of the solution given form her council-led care were unsightly and minimal and I wished so much more for her. Her bathroom adaptation were especially disappointing just a bath seat and a step that meant bathing was a pretty unpleasant experience. 

We can and should do better than that. It was not my place / my tole to interfere with this but with hindsight, I so wish I had. 

For all of us with older or disabled family members, adaptations may become an issue and these should be absolute as aesthetically and practically pleasing as possible. 

 

Accessible bathroom solutions

Mobility Plus have some great accessibility solutions if you are wondering how to make a bathroom ‘grandparent friendly’ Let me talk you through a couple of them.

Their showers and walk-in baths can fit where a current bath is now.  They can also design a layout to make even more of a bathroom transformation. Their range is easy to use and can be fitted within a couple of days so really repsonsive to changing cirumstances.  Their mission is to make bathing both safe and comfortable and to keep the bathroom aesthetics pleasing. Isn’t this what we all want for the more vulnerable amongst us? And for our home. If we are going to be making adaptaions we want them to look a seamless part of the design too.

 

Accesible bathroom options

Mobility Plus, are the UK’s largest supplier of walk-in baths for older people and people with mobility issues They have a varietry of different options to meet various access needs and the baths all look sleek and stylish.  They all come complete with a lifetime product guarantee for peace-of-mind. Bathing is so personal and so private that giving someone their independence whilst bathing really helps in regard to self-respect and self-esteem.

Being able to be independent as long as possible and as far as possible is really important to a lot of people. Being able to bath independently can keep them living in their home.

 

An example of an accessible bath

Let me give you an example of an accessible bath and what they can offer,

The Hampton is just one example of an accessible bath. It has the following awesome qualities:

Doesn’t it just sound brilliant for a grandparent friendly bathroom?

 

Why bathtime matters

For older people and people who are physically more vulnerable, joints can often get stiff and aches and pains can result from lack of use. Bathtime enables these joints to relax in warm water and feel some relief of pressure. Bathtime can be relaxing and blissful for all of us – a little time out on a frantic day. Being older should not mean that bathtime becomes problematic – it should continue to be a lovely respite for both our minds and bodies.

Walk-in showers

Walk-in showers are another brilliant option for people with accessibility needs and they can even be wheelchair accessible if need be.  They can also be fitted with old away shower seat for extra added comfort and safety grab rails for total safety. 

So there are lots of ways to make a bathroom more accessible, from baths mats and rails to bath seats and walk-in showers.  There is no reason for anyone to feel unsafe or uncomfortable if a bathroom design is accessible and considered.

Grandparents have a right to bathe happily too!

I hope you have found this post on how to make a bathroom grandparent friendly and that it has inspired you. Is this something you have had to address in your home. If so do leave me a comment and let me know what adaptations you made.

 

How to make a bathroom grandparent friendly is a collaborative post – you might also like my post on how to plan a multi-gen holiday