Minor Bathroom Upgrades to Make Today
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| Minor Bathroom |
Upgrading these features in your bathroom will not only enable you to age at home, they will also make your own safer and more functional for all family members. An older family member who stays with you as a guest or moves in will benefit from these bathroom upgrades, as will any family member who experiences temporary or more permanent mobility issues.
Lever Faucet Handles
You may not often think about the type of bathroom faucet handles you have, except to admire your own good taste. However, knob faucets are more difficult to use, as anyone with arthritis could tell you. Upgrade bathroom faucet handles to lever-shaped handles, recommend the AARP. Do the same for shower faucet handles.
Bathroom Door Lever, No Locks
Also replace the bathroom door handle with a lever handle. There is probably no real need for a bathroom lock, which could cause any family member, from a toddler to a person who is aging at home, to become accidentally locked in the bathroom.
New Place for Electrical Appliances
Make a dressing table area in a bedroom for storing electrical items normally used in the bathroom. Place electric toothbrush charges on shelves away from the sink, rather than on the sink.
Better Lighting
Upgrade the lighting in your bathroom to include light fixtures with more than one lightbulb. If the bulb burns out, the person who is aging at home, or who cannot safely change the lightbulb (including a child) will not be left in the dark.
Grab Bars
Adding grab bars is another way to upgrade your bathroom. Consider placing grab bars where you will need them most, namely on the wall near the toilet, and in the shower.
Contrasting Colors
Adding more contrasting colors to the bathroom is another minor bathroom upgrade you can make. Paint the edges of vanities in a bold color that contrasts with the rest of the cabinetry. Using a toilet seat cover in a contrasting color, or replacing out the entire toilet seat with a colored one will also work.
The reason contrast will help a person aging at home is because with age depth perception lessens, causing people to misjudge where objects are located (AARP, NAHB). Minor misjudgments in a bathroom can cause bruises or even falls and broken bones.
