Senior-friendly bathroom remodel?

From a construction/structural point of view, it isn't always possible to do a completely flat entrance at the base of a shower. We couldn't on our 2nd floor shower because we would have had to cut into the structural flooring below. On the first floor, if you're on a slab, there are other considerations. It's easiest when you have a first floor shower and your house has a crawl space below. Definitely get rid of the tub and make the entrance to the shower as low and as wide as you can. Good luck!

All good suggestions from responders. However, even following the ADA guidelines, there is not a generic solution. Therefore, I still encourage you to have your loved one’s Particular needs and abilities evaluated by an Occupational Therapist. They measure, talk (and listen) with the person regarding their abilities and their wishes. Then with you who can provide input from your perspective of your loved one’s situation and preferences and your construction guru will be installing the accommodations. Think safety first (non-slip flooring for example), and enhancing independence second.
BTW...We did not install doors to any of our showers. Just beautiful shower curtains which can be removed as needed. This is another safety precaution (people have been known to knock doors off their frames and/or break the glass). Besides, both our mothers desire and value their privacy, so the curtains offer that. They are quite pleased with their individual suites.

The most important thing of all is to have the toilet seat higher than all the ones they install everywhere. Seniors cannot sit so low and it is impossible to get up again. Move the seat way up higher for ease of sitting and getting up and put handle bars on each side so the person can get up again.

I WISH I could convince my mom to take the tub out of her ONE bathroom. Stepping in and out to shower, even with the grab bars, is unsafe. She FEELS unsafe and is reluctant to shower. She is adamant that there will be NO CHANGES and cries about the expense as an excuse. She can easily afford the accommodation but is terrified to spend anything. It doesn't help that his sister told her that her lovely $200,000 home would be "unsellable" without that 70-year old bathtub.

I moved into a house that was built "Handicap Accessible" and it has 2 bathrooms one is a designated handicap bathroom after my Husband fell it quickly became his bathroom.
The bathroom is large enough to get a wheelchair or a Sit to Stand or Hoyer Lift into.
The entire bathroom is what is called a "wet room" so all tile on the floor and most of the walls.
Shower is a large Roll In or Zero Threshold shower.
There are 2 long grab bars in the shower but I placed several more in the bathroom replacing towel bars with grab bars.
Both toilets in the house are Tall (ADA height) with elongated bowls.
I did attach a piece to the toilet that had "arms" on it (sort of like the arms on a chair) that made it easier for my husband to get up. I removed that when he started using a wheelchair. I had a shower wheelchair that I could position over the toilet than I would just roll him into the shower.
If there is a possibility that a wheelchair will be used if you have 2 sinks in the bathroom one should not have a cabinet below it so rolling a chair up to the sink is easier. If there is only 1 sink maybe a Pedestal sink with extra cabinetry or an easily accessible closet.

A quick note on the diagonal grab bars. The ones I was finding did not come in a 16 or 32 inch length (studs in the walls are typically 16 inches apart) so unless you wanted special anchors used or custom ordered grab bars placing them diagonally was the way to use the more common or easily found grab bars.
Horizontal grab bars seem to be easier to use, and they can double as a towel bar. I did place one vertically by the shower but it really was never used.

Personal opinion about the shower seats.
What will be easier and more comfortable to you. Freestanding ones can be moved so it can be made to be more comfortable. You can use them with or without a back. As Trunk support is lost a back can be important. A built in shower seat it typically at the back of the shower and that might be a distance from the controls and the hand held shower "wand".
I/we never had to use a shower seat since he went from standing to a shower wheelchair. When he was standing for some reason he did not use grab bars for support so I would buy used walkers from resale shops and he would use a walker for support. (never paid more than $3.00 for one and if they became unstable or corroded I would put them out for the metal scrappers or recycle)

We remodeled Mom's bathroom with a solid surface floor, no lips, grab bars all down one side and around the shower area. Tile in the shower area and along the walls making the area waterproof. A drop down grab bar between the toilet and shower area, floating cabinets and vanity. Fan and heat lamp in ceiling. there is enough room to bring her wheelchair right next to her shower chair, also a handheld shower on a sliding bar. The CNA's that come to bathe Mom love it!

get a handicapped toilet, we got one for my mom, she loves it and won't go at our house cause she said its too low.  put a grab bar on the wall beside the toilet.  as far as the bathing area.  have your loved one stand in the shower (help them), put one where they can hold onto when getting into the tub, and either horizontal or diagonal (ask your parent how it feels to hold onto it) when they put their hand up to the area where they would grab onto.  Also, depending on the tub area if a seat would work OR you could buy a seat that they could sit on, move their feet over the tub and into the tub and just sit on that seat.  Also make sure you put down non slip things on the bottom of the tub so they don't slip and fall.  good luck

Hello,
Below are some answers to your questions. I've included some links to pages that will provide even more detailed info.
1. It depends on the size of your shower and the use of the grab bars. Ideally, you'd want one installed vertically by door of your shower as that will make it easy to hold onto when stepping over the entry barrier. I would then recommend a couple horizontal bars to be placed on both walls of the shower near the shower head. The horizontal bars will be easy to hold onto while turning or moving in the shower. Please visit the following link to learn more about the types of grab bars available and the pros and cons of having them installed vertically, horizontally, and even diagonally.

2. The optimal height for a toilet and counter top is going to be dependent on what is comfortable for you. Ideally, you'll want both high enough where they are easy to access. For a toilet, there are a few different products that can raise the height of the seat to make it easier and safer to get on and off of such as the TILT from EZ-ACCESS or elevator toilet seat risers.
3. This is again going to be your preference. There are seats that are more than durable enough, but if you prefer a built in shower seat and it's within the budget, then go for it!

I can't speak to anything except the shower seat issue. Do not have a built in shower seat. Although unsightly, having a portable shower seat that is adjustable, and can be a real shower chair with armrests can be crucial. I was injured and had to use a shower chair and could never have negotiated a built in shower seat even in my walk in shower. I needed adjustable heights depending on my recovery and I definitely needed the arms for support. My friend is a physical therapist and strongly recommends against built-ins. My daughter has a built-in shower seat and it gets so slick that they don't even let their kids on it because they will slide right off. It's now a giant shelf that's just in the way.