3 Key Tips for Building a Senior Friendly Bathroom

Never before has it ever been more important to build senior friendly  bathrooms than in recent years. The Australian Institute of Health published a report that stated that between 2016 and 2017, 125 000 elderly Australians aged 65 years or greater were subjected to serious injuries due to falls, most of which took place in bathrooms. This statistic clearly shows that if you are planning on building a bathroom that has the possibility of being used by an elderly individual, it would be best to make sure that it is senior friendly.

However, most people have reservations when it comes to building senior friendly bathrooms because they share the misconception that these types of bathrooms aren’t visually appealing. This is simply not true. While a senior friendly bathroom requires a lot of functional elements, there is a way to design a beautiful bathroom that will be able to accommodate the elderly.

Below, we will give you 3 key tips on how to build a senior friendly bathroom that will also “Wow” anyone who sees it.

1.Remove all Sharp Corners

Our first tip, that is sure to help you build a bathroom that is elderly friendly, is to avoid all sharp corners. This is especially important for your countertop edges, benchtop corners and basins. Instead, if you opted for smooth vanities that have rounded edges, you’d notice that your bathroom would actually look more visually appealing. This is mainly because round shapes give rooms a sleeker more premium feel, which is great for those who are looking to build amazing modern bathroom. As such, it then becomes clear to see that this is one particular example where style and senior proof bathrooms marry together.

2.Don’t over furnish Your Bathroom

While there may be a certain elegance that is associated with  bathrooms that are fully furnished and fitted together is small spaces, this can also make your bathroom a very dangerous place. Bathrooms that are overly furnished usually have very little room for mobility, which is especially hazardous for the elderly. So, instead, you should opt for a minimalistic design within your bathroom that pairs large open spaces with beautiful signature décor choices.

3.Raise up your toilets

The toilet pan height for an average bathroom is between 420 millimetres to 460 millimetres. While this may be perfect for a younger adult, it does provide some difficult for the elderly, when it comes to standing up and sitting down. As such, a pan height of 500 millimetres to 550 millimetres (which is not a very large change) can make all the difference, when it comes to making your bathroom elderly friendly.

At Renovation D, we understand the importance of making sure that a bathroom is build elderly friend. However, our philosophy is that this does not have to be done at the expense of your bathrooms beauty.  Contact us today, and we’ll help you make this possible.