Accessibility in your Sarasota, FL, bathroom is important for many families. When rooms in your home are designed for easy access, you may find it makes staying on your own doable and more comfortable.
When a bathroom is not accessible, it can be a danger zone for those who need ease of movement. It may cause more slips and falls, be harder to reach items you need, and ultimately limit your ability to be alone in the bathroom.
Here are six ideas to help make your bathroom easier to navigate.
How can you ensure your bathroom is easily accessible for years to come? We have a few ideas which have worked for many homeowners in the past and will work for your Sarasota, FL bathroom remodel as well.
Many accessibility issues center on having a wheelchair, which makes it hard to navigate the bathroom. One of the first things we often recommend is to remove the cabinets under the sink, to allow for your wheelchair to slide under the counter easily.
In addition, we may also lower the countertop slightly to put your sink within easy reach while sitting in a wheelchair. It is a minor change but can make a world of difference.
Before you worry about where you will store items in your bathroom, we are more than ready to come up with storage solutions that will not affect your ability to get around the bathroom.
Having support rails installed throughout your bathroom can be an extra safety precaution to avoid falls. We can install support rails on almost any wall. However, we find support rails are more helpful in locations like:
Basically, support rails can be installed wherever you may need extra help, and we can recommend additional locations to ensure your bathroom is easy to maneuver.
A curbless shower makes it easier for those who are in a wheelchair to take a shower. Curbless showers easily allow wheelchairs to roll into the shower.
In addition, curbless showers are a great way to help those with mobility issues who cannot lift their legs over the ledge of a traditional tub or shower. Curbless showers are just as luxurious as traditional showers but are safer.
Most bathrooms in Sarasota, FL homes use flooring that may not be as slip-resistant as they realize. LVT flooring is a high-grade vinyl plank floor that is beautiful, but also waterproof.
When your bathroom has a curbless shower, the flooring is important to ensure your more accessible shower is not damaging the floor of your bathroom. Plus, LVT flooring is a gorgeous and welcome addition to any bathroom!
A “wet area” aids in preventing a fall by placing the shower and toilet near each other. This results in fewer steps to take, lessening the likelihood of a fall.
Many homes integrate a wet area, as it makes bathroom time easier for everyone. It also allows you to have more privacy since you can get to both the shower and toilet easily.
Motion-activated faucets in your bathroom can allow you to access water even more easily. Reaching faucets is one accessibility issue many Sarasota, FL homeowners have.
Motion-activated faucets make it easy to wash your hands while using a wheelchair or even a walker. It can reduce the chances of falling when having to stand up to reach your faucets from a seated position.
CAPS stands for “Certified Aging-In-Place Specialist,” and we are proud to have this certification here at Gilbert Design Build. A certification of this magnitude ensures we can make your bathroom more accessible for your individual needs.
The six ideas mentioned before are just a few of the ways our specialists can make your bathroom no longer feel intimidating and can maneuver without help.
When you add our CAPS certification to our universal design elements, we can make a bathroom easier for you to use while also making it beautiful. Just because you need a bathroom that is accessible does not mean you should sacrifice beauty.
With our devotion to universal design, we ensure your bathroom has it all. It is going to be safer for you to age at home while also being breathtakingly beautiful. There is no reason that anyone should have to sacrifice beauty for accessibility.
Our goal with every design is to find something you will love… while also hitting all the accessibility requirements you may have now and into the future.
An accessible bathroom is just one step in ensuring you can age peacefully at home without worry.
A fall or injury can easily happen if your bathroom is not designed to meet your accessibility requirements. Suffering an injury could cause the loss of your independence. Before injuries or falls happen, consider a bathroom remodel with accessibility in mind.
If you need an accessible bathroom in your Sarasota, FL home, Gilbert Design Build is here to make it a reality. Contact us today for a free consultation, or call us at 941-757-3395 to see how we can help you.