Grab bars and your bathroom

When we are healthy and have no problems getting around, we don’t usually think about what would we need the world to be like if we had mobility issues?

We don’t have to wait until we are 80 to find out. Have you or a friend ever broken a leg? How difficult was it to take a shower or get up the stairs to the office, or to the grocery store? 

Even getting around the kitchen could be difficult, and how long could you stand without the injured leg giving you problems? Is there a place to sit while preparing dinner? These are some of the reasons why Universal Design, sometimes called Aging in Place, which may be a misnomer, are important considerations in home building and remodeling.

It’s a good idea to consider what might need to change about your home for you or a loved one to comfortably live there as long as they want to. It’s both less expensive and more pleasant to have one’s own home and our independence as we age, rather than having to live in a retirement home.

So, when having some remodeling done in any part of your home, ask your contractor what modifications might be made to include some Universal Design elements.