Walk in showers and aging in place go together like peanut butter and jelly, correct?
Well, as a guy who leads a business which wholesales and installs these systems I’d say, “Not so fast Kemosabe!”
While many walk in showers are perfect for aging in place, others are a disaster. And the question really is how can YOU – if your goal is to make sure you’re not forced to leave your home (unless someone is wheeling you out……. sorry for the visual… for an assisted living facility) make sure your contractor is installing a walk in shower which WILL work flawlessly for aging in place?
The key is to know what REALLY makes a walk in shower safe (and I’d also shoot for stylish while you’re at it)– and then to incorporate as many of these elements into your design.
Towards that end in this article I’ll identify 10 features of an effective age in place walk in shower – some of which aren’t even fully understood by a ‘run-of-the-mill’ general contractor. Let’s take a look.
Feature #1 of a safe walk in age in place shower– A shower entrance which IS NOT a safety hazard!
The most dangerous room in your home is the bathroom. It’s the #1 place falls occur. And here’s a depressing stat for you, more people die from falls than from cancer. Sad, but true.
So, if you’re looking to minimize the chance of a fall (and coming into and out of a tub or shower is top on the list or places for it to happen) you need to address how you – and your family members, are getting into and out of the shower.
However, even if you’re doing a tub to walk in shower conversion, I’d argue not ‘any old’ shower base will do. Because if mobility challenges became your nemesis, a 4” tall shower curb may be a barrier which is too tall for you to step over and forces you out of your home, or into remodeling what you’ve already remodeled!
It’s for this reason look for a low profile shower curb (one with a 2” or smaller threshold) with an optional ramp kit. The optional shower ramp kit can be a blessing if you need wheelchair access as years go on. Sorry for this depressing thought.
Feature #2 of a safe walk in age in place shower– Cool grab bars in all the right places
I know, I know – your desire to purchase grab bars is right up there with a trip to your dentist. And sorry about this remark Dr. Marsh. You see Dr. Marsh is my dentist. He’s fun and funny although he likes my wife better because she brings in bakery, but I digress!
However, steadying yourself with a grab bar while entering/exiting the shower (while you’re wet and in your ‘birthday suit’ showing off your hot ‘age-in-place’ body!) is smart ‘insurance’ to stay safe.
And you’ll be comforted to know – grab have advanced so much you won’t even know they’re grab bars. They can become safety hidden in plain sight and even double as a towel bar or storage shelf (see feature #5 to learn more about this).
Feature #3 of a safe walk in age in place shower– A slip resistant shower pan (or tub deck, if you keep the tub)
Have you (almost) fallen on your keester entering a shower or a bath/shower combo system? Has a slippery fiberglass bottom – or sloped tub insert almost taken you out?
If so – now’s the time to make your walk in shower safer. Look for a tub or shower pan with a well-rated ‘slip coefficient of friction’ (that’s fancy bathroom talk for it being slip resistant).
I like these low profile stone shower pans. They not only have a textured bottom – but can hold 2 tons of weight capacity. You won’t feel them flex under your feet – no matter if your ‘playing weight’ is a bit heavier than when you were the defensive tackle on your high school football team, or if you’ve taken up sumo wrestling.
Feature #4 of a safe walk in age in place shower– Easy to clean walls (and bathroom floors) which visually contrast with your shower pan
Another hazard of a walk in age in place shower is when it’s hard to differentiate one ‘surface’ from another.
For example, if the curb of your shower pan is hard to distinguish from your bathroom floor you’re more likely to trip and fall.
Or if your wall surrounds blend in with the shower floor pan, your shower can play trick on your ‘less-than-youthful’ eyes.
However, it’s nice to know you can simultaneously make your shower safer, more stylish, AND easier to clean – if you choose grout free wall panels and a bathroom floor (like luxury vinyl planks) which contrasts with your shower pan and is installed with no grout.
Feature #5 of a safe walk in age in place shower– Nooks, crannies, niches, shelves, and footrests in all the right places
I don’t know about you but when I think of ‘nooks and crannies’ I still harken back to Mrs. Thomas’s English muffins commercials of yesterday. And yes, I’m sorry to get you hungry while reading this, but I’m still drooling for their buttery goodness. And I’m wondering what you think – is it this muffin’s nooks, or crannies which make them great? Maybe this video below will help you end the debate.
And while you don’t need to worry about small spaces like those in an English muffin in your shower (unless you’re cleaning mosaic tile grout joints, but that’s another story), you should still however ‘sweat the small’ stuff like shower storage and your shaving needs when designing a safe walk in age in place shower.
That’s why I’m giving you a storage and shaving recommendations to not only make your shower safer (and eliminate oozing shampoo bottles on the floor) – but more stylish as well. Give these products some thought:
A grab shelf – The grab shelf does double-duty as a shower storage compartment and a grab bar! That’s a BOGO special!
A footrest – Even though I’m NOT a woman (and also don’t play one on TV……and highly doubt there’s a Mrs. Doubtfire role in my future either) I’ve heard (through the grapevine…’er my wife) it’s awkward to shave your legs while standing in a shower. It’s for this reason a solid surface footrest (placed exactly where it’s most comfortable for you) can be a big bonus for a safer walk in age in place shower.
Feature #6 of a safe walk in age in place shower– Mo’ lighting, any way you can get it!
Plain and simple – a dark shower is a dangerous shower. And it’s quite possible your shower may be darker than it should be because of blinds you’re shutting in the bathroom or shower (to not show off your ‘hot bod’ to the neighbors), or inadequate lighting in the ceiling or above your vanity.
You may be wondering what you can do to improve lighting in a shower or your bathroom. Here’s some options:
Use a high privacy glass block bathroom window vs. a window with blinds – Glass blocks are available in obscure patterns so you can kill the blinds, get more sunlight, yet still maintain privacy.
Add recessed lights in the shower or bathroom.
Use high gloss wall panels or glass tiles – Light reflecting materials make a room feel brighter.
Use glass shower doors vs.light-blocking curtains – Glass shower doors allow light from a bathroom window to flow into the shower vs. fabric or patterned curtains which block it.
Add a skylight or solar wall tube – If adding a window into an exterior wall (because maybe you don’t have an exterior wall to use) isn’t possible, using the ceiling to move light into a bathroom is another way to ‘skin the cat’ (and no, cat lovers, this IS NOT a literal recommendation!). Although I’ll warn you this option isn’t a ‘cheap date.’
Add a recessed niche with LED
Image Credits: Honey Do Home Improve
Feature #7 of a safe walk in age in place shower– Seating which DOES NOT eat up your shower!
I don’t know about you, but I not only hate the look of showers with pre-molded fiberglass or acrylic seats (because they look, and are, cheap and plasticky), but I also hate how they make the shower live so small. And, in addition, for modest sized showers with built in bench seats, once again the area to stand in the shower gets really cramped.
It’s for these reasons for moderate sized walk in age in place showers a smart option are fold down seats. You can put them anywhere. You can fold them down when they’re needed (for showering or shaving). You can put them up when they’re not.
Feature #8 of a safe walk in age in place shower– A handheld shower on a slide bar
With a handheld shower on a slide bar, you’ll have the option of showering standing or while seated. And if you research enough you can also find handheld shower slide bars which double as a grab bar. That’s a cool (bad shower pun intended) and safe idea.
And the other smart feature about handheld showers is they make it simpler to clean your shower (without bending down) or to ‘win the battle’ of chasing your dog around the shower while attempting to clean them!
Feature #9 of a safe walk in age in place shower– A shower which makes it easier for a caregiver (if needed)
Although you hope you (or a family member) will never need a caregiver to help with showering, this can become a reality for too many reasons to mention. So, when designing your safe walk in shower you’ll want to also think how this space could work for a caregiver to help a loved one. Some ideas to make it work better for a caregiver include:
Add a transfer bench seat to move someone from a wheelchair into the shower (or add backer board behind the wall for a future bench seat).
Use a one level wet room. A one level wet room is a barrier free system which makes the shower and bathroom be on one plane – without a curb to step over.
Make the shower large enough. It’s recommended for an accessible shower to be at least 36” x 36” – but larger is always better.
Don’t use glass shower doors which are hard to reach around. Stay away from bypass shower doors – where there’s 2 sliding doors, or wall to wall glass enclosures. Use curtains, a caregiver screen, or a glass shower screen (learn more about this in feature #10, recommendation #2 below) instead.
Feature #10 of a safe walk in age in place shower– Use a glass door – or glass wall – which is sturdy
Since a walk in shower by it’s definition includes an open space on one end, it’s not associated with shower doors which go from wall to wall (like you’ll see with common sliding or pivoting glass shower enclosures).
However, if you don’t like a completely open shower – and you HATE, HATE, HATE the nastiness of shower curtains you can’t clean or have to constantly replace, you may be looking for glass which’ll safely and efficiently work for a walk in shower. If so – here’s recommendations for you:
Recommendation #1 – DO NOT buy a thin, cheap glass shower screen – While it can be tempting to buy a ‘budget-busting’ thin glass shower screen they usually come with the cheapest hardware and can be most prone to loosening from the wall. Look for glass shower screens which use 3/8” thick glass and heavy duty hardware.
Recommendation #2 –Look for a pivoting shower screen which can keep your walk in shower warmer, create a larger opening to get in, AND makes it easier for a caregiver to lend a hand – A product few people realize exists is the pivoting shower screen. It has a fixed glass screen (23” wide), with a small pivoting door on the end (15” wide). What’s nice about this product for an age in place walk in shower is the pivoting door opens fully to the outside (allowing a 35” opening in a 60” tub to shower conversion) – yet you can angle the door into the shower to keep water in.
Recommendation #3 –Use a trending glass block shower wall for a sturdier, and stylish alternative to a boring clear glass shower door – If you’d like your shower to be as unique as you are, then you may want to get in on the growing popularity (again) of glass block shower walls. These walls are now showing up in cool places like boutique hotels and Coach stores across the country. Glass block is cool again…..AND it’s 3 1/8” thickness makes it a wall which IS NOT coming down if you lean on it!
So, are you more comfortable you know how to design a safe – yet stylish – walk in age in place shower? Do you need design and installation help with one of these systems?
Ok – if I did my job right ‘Hal’ (and no, I didn’t order the code red…..and for A Few Good Men fanatics like me, you know what I’m talking about) you now know features to not only get a safe walk in age in place shower – but dare I say – a stylish one as well.
And while I know it may be simple to intellectualize (a long word I threw in so you’d think I was smart…..and hopefully it’s working!) your next shower – it’s often a lot harder to think specifically what you need to do to make your shower (and bathroom) work for aging in place (‘er what products, installation systems, and even contractors you should choose).
And if this is your reality our team would love to help. First you can reach out to our Shower Specialistsfor product and design ideas (and most of these people aren’t even as wacky as I am….and that’s a bonus). In addition, they may be able to refer you to dealer-contractor to assist with your installation.
President of Innovate Building Solutions a nationwide supplier and regional (Cleveland and Columbus) remodeling contractors. Some of our product lines include glass counters, floors, backsplashes, glass blocks and grout free shower and tub wall panels
