Creating Disability-Friendly Bathrooms: Wet Room Ideas For Disabled People
If you need some disabled wet room ideas, we have plenty to share.
Many bathroom designs aren’t accessible enough for disabled people, for a variety of reasons. For example – the sink is too low, the bath is difficult to get into, or there’s a high risk of slipping.
The risk of injury is even greater for the elderly, and according to the NHS, more than half of people over 80 will have at least one fall a year.
While most will go unscathed, falling in a bathroom is riskier, as there are plenty of hard objects.
What is a wet room?
A wet room – different from a bathroom, in that the entire space is used as a bathing area – is a good way to improve accessibility.
Wet rooms allow for the entire space to be used as a bathing area, with an unenclosed single space that typically has no shower screens or doors.
The shower enclosure is also completely waterproof, with a sloping floor to ensure that excess water drains properly. It’s an aesthetic and accessible alternative to the traditional bathroom, and can be beneficial for many reasons.
Wet rooms are a stylish, functional and accessible alternative to the standard shower or bathroom. Just as open-plan living has gained popularity, so have wet rooms.
It requires some adjustments, but for disabled people, the government may lend a helping hand.
You can apply for up to £30,000 from your council if you’re disabled and need to make changes to your living accommodation.
In 2020, the National Accident Helpline estimated that 26% of all injuries happened in the bathroom.
People with mobility issues often struggle getting in and out of a bath or standard shower alone.
In this article, we’ll explore some different disabled bathroom ideas to help make any home safer.
Accessible wet room basins
To start exploring different modern disabled wet room ideas, let’s start with the smaller units, before we turn our attention to the shower and bath in large disabled wet rooms.
There are several ways to make a bathroom basin easier to use:
- By raising it slightly, it reduces the need to bend over when washing your hands
- By mounting it on the wall, it creates space underneath for a stool or chair
- A rounded basin instead of a rectangular one with sharp edges, to better protect someone at risk of losing their balance
There should also be enough space around the basin to make moving around easier.
Raised toilets
For a more accessible toilet, possibilities include:
- Installing a raised toilet – again, this will reduce the amount of bending required, making it easier to get on and off
- Having a sensor-based flush rather than a handle-based one
- Installing modern grab bars or a safety rail
Here’s a showcase example of how seamlessly railing can be installed alongside a toilet unit.
A safety rail can also incorporate a paper roll holder, to help utilise bathroom space more efficiently.
Accessible baths
There’s room for plenty of creativity when it comes to disabled wet room ideas – for help getting in and out of the bathtub, options include:
- A walk-in bathtub, designed for disabled users with limited mobility in their legs
- A bath lift, transfer bench, or electric hoist for those with limited mobility in their arms
- A bath seat, board, or cushion, for greater physical support inside the bathtub
- Non-slip mats inside the tub to stop a bath seat from moving, and/or outside the tub if the floor is slippery
- Non-slip grab rails, providing sturdy support when getting up or sitting down
Water jets are also a popular feature – these can help with muscle pain or arthritis, for example.
Accessible showers
Here are some of the possibilities for shower units with beautiful wet room trays:
- Installing a walk-in shower, which is less confined
- Installing a handrail
- Setting up a fixed shower seat, for safe and comfortable washing
Here is a showcase example of a shower seat we’ve installed.
There are several other benefits of walk-in showers. For example, they’re easy to clean and more hygienic, with no shower doors.
When thinking about creative, stylish wet room ideas, there’s also the potential to incorporate spa-like features in a more accessible shower area.
Instead of adjustable shower heads… How about rainfall shower heads, for extra comfort and warmth? Or multiple shower heads, offering different water stream pressures, for spa-like wet rooms?
Other small wet room ideas
Here are some other ways of improving a disabled bathroom design:
- Cupboards: These should be within easy reach, without needing to stretch or bend too far, in particular for wheelchair users
- Sloping floors: A large wet room floor space often slopes slightly (with non-slip flooring), to ensure excess water drains properly, particularly useful for completely open walk-in showers
There are several ways of improving a disabled bathroom layout – sometimes it’s as simple as moving a shelf to a more convenient area, for a more accessible bathroom.
Summary: Modern disabled wet room ideas – creating disability friendly bathrooms
We hope this article has given you some new ideas for accessible yet modern wet rooms. For more, here are 5 wet room ideas to inspire you.
Also, take a look at our guide on accessible bathroom design – creating a safe and inclusive space.
Plus, we’ve written extensively about the different types of stairlifts – including stairlift grants for the elderly.
Just a few changes can make any bathroom safer – and often, more spacious, even for the smallest rooms. You don’t necessarily need more floor space.
At Ability Bathe, we can adapt any wet room or bathroom to make it more accessible.
We hope you found this article useful – for others, check out our blog. Recently we covered bathroom heating options for winter and beyond.
Ability Bathe are experienced bathroom designers Devon, Cornwall, Bristol and surrounding areas are delighted with.
We have over 35 years of service experience behind us and specialise in exceptional walk-in showers Devon and other South-West customers love.
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