"Aging in place" is an increasingly popular solution to the health challenges seniors often face. This approach means renovating the home you already live in so it will continue to be safe and comfortable as you get older and your needs change. One of the most important steps is bathroom remodeling since a traditional bathroom is the site of many injuries and falls. Make these alterations to help accommodate your shifting mobility needs.

Bathroom Remodeling for Seniors Checklist

1. Make Bathing Safer

Climbing over the side of a tub can challenge your balance and is difficult with stiff joints or diminished leg strength. A walk-in tub with a door is much easier to navigate. You can also switch to a shower; with a no-threshold design, a handheld showerhead, and a shower chair, it's easily accessible.

2. Prevent Slips

The surfaces in your bathroom will often get wet, so smooth flooring options like tile and linoleum aren't ideal. Instead, ask your remodeling contractor to install a no-slip surface, especially inside the shower itself. Also, add handrails to the walls to help with balance issues.

3. Widen the Walkway

If you or a loved one use a wheelchair, rooms, doors, and hallways throughout the home need to be wider. A doorway needs to be 32 inches wide at minimum to let a wheelchair through, and even wider for electric wheelchairs, scooters, and reclining wheelchairs.

To turn the chair around, the user needs a space at least 36 inches wide. Therefore, you may need to enlarge the bathroom or, if you only need a few more inches, have your contractor sink your custom cabinetry into the empty wall space behind it.

For bathroom remodeling help to make aging in place possible, choose InsideOut Renovations in Lincoln, NE. Serving Lancaster County since 2005, they have inside knowledge of the industry and use advanced technology to create personalized, innovative designs, staying with you from the early planning stages until construction is finished. To get started, call (402) 474-0028 or visit their website for more on their capabilities.