Invigorating Luxury With Wheelchair Accessible Showers
When you purchased your home, you did it with the needs of your family in mind, and you probably thought you'd be comfortable there for the rest of your life.
However, no one knows what life may hand them, and for some it includes accidents or illnesses that confine them to wheelchairs.
All of a sudden your perfect home can become a nightmare for the person trying to get around in it using the chair.
In many cases, one of the most difficult problems comes with bathing.
What can you do if there's a person in your family who can no longer use the bathtub or shower because they can't get into them? Ask people who are in similar circumstances, and they'll tell you that bed baths can get awfully old.
Nothing can match the relaxing feel of a wonderful, hot shower, and these people seriously miss the opportunity to take them on a regular basis.
There are options, however, for redoing your home to create a wheelchair accessible shower.
Even if you feel like your bathroom is much too small, there are methods you can employ to open it up and create the extra space a shower will take.
You'll need to start by changing your standard doorway to one that's at least 36 inches wide.
Wheelchairs need at least that much space to get through easily.
Make sure the new door swings outward, too, so that it will leave as much space as possible in the bathroom.
Sliding or pocket doors are also good options.
You will need an open area of at least a 60" diameter for turning.
You will also need the same amount of space for a shower.
I'm sure you're wondering just where you're going to get enough room for all this.
First of all, gut the bathroom completely.
If there are any closets adjoining the space, remove the walls so that you can add that area to the bath.
You may be able to add part of a bedroom, too, in order to increase the space.
Plan for the space you have carefully to make the best use of every inch you have.
Plan for the shower and turning spaces first to make sure you leave adequate room.
A toilet can be tucked into a corner, and you can purchase a small, freestanding sink or a corner vanity that will take up much less room than your current fixtures.
This project takes a lot of work and planning, but when you see your loved one's joy at taking their first hot shower in years, you'll know that all your efforts were worth it.
However, no one knows what life may hand them, and for some it includes accidents or illnesses that confine them to wheelchairs.
All of a sudden your perfect home can become a nightmare for the person trying to get around in it using the chair.
In many cases, one of the most difficult problems comes with bathing.
What can you do if there's a person in your family who can no longer use the bathtub or shower because they can't get into them? Ask people who are in similar circumstances, and they'll tell you that bed baths can get awfully old.
Nothing can match the relaxing feel of a wonderful, hot shower, and these people seriously miss the opportunity to take them on a regular basis.
There are options, however, for redoing your home to create a wheelchair accessible shower.
Even if you feel like your bathroom is much too small, there are methods you can employ to open it up and create the extra space a shower will take.
You'll need to start by changing your standard doorway to one that's at least 36 inches wide.
Wheelchairs need at least that much space to get through easily.
Make sure the new door swings outward, too, so that it will leave as much space as possible in the bathroom.
Sliding or pocket doors are also good options.
You will need an open area of at least a 60" diameter for turning.
You will also need the same amount of space for a shower.
I'm sure you're wondering just where you're going to get enough room for all this.
First of all, gut the bathroom completely.
If there are any closets adjoining the space, remove the walls so that you can add that area to the bath.
You may be able to add part of a bedroom, too, in order to increase the space.
Plan for the space you have carefully to make the best use of every inch you have.
Plan for the shower and turning spaces first to make sure you leave adequate room.
A toilet can be tucked into a corner, and you can purchase a small, freestanding sink or a corner vanity that will take up much less room than your current fixtures.
This project takes a lot of work and planning, but when you see your loved one's joy at taking their first hot shower in years, you'll know that all your efforts were worth it.