This page reflects the personal experience of the writer. It is meant to assist in finding products that may be right for your situation but is not intended to replace professional services. If in doubt, always consult your medical doctor or a home safety/senior safety consultant
I installed this one. I like that you can have a nice soak (my dad's preference) or a shower (mom's preference). Cons: it can get very chilly waiting for the tub to drain completely!
Think about a heat lamp or other way to keep your senior warm. I had this one installed:
since I was lucky enough that the existing ventilation fan was relatively close to the tub. It is a heat lamp and ventilation fan in one unit. I also help mom wash her hair while the tub is draining. It takes longer to drain but at least she has warm water while it is.
Don't get talked into paying extra for the "quick draining" tubs! If you are hooking them up to standard plumbing, they won't drain any faster! I personally choose not to jack hammer up the concrete to install larger drain pipe...
Things to think about: These tubs take a LOT of water to fill (Mine takes 94 gallons)! With a standard 40 gal hot water tank, it is pushing it to fill and still have hot water. I have an on demand boiler system so it's not a big problem for me.
If you opt for a no-barrier shower, here are some samples of bathing chairs:
Consider things like mobility (do you need one that swivels?) balance (do you need one with arms?) and comfort. Padding is more comfortable but can deteriorate eventually.
When I still had a normal tub, I choose this chair. It's a little more expensive BUT I really liked that the whole seat slid, rather than Mom having to "scoot" herself over.
I choose an adjustable bar to mount the hand held shower. This way, other family members and guests are still able to adjust to an appropriate height for themselves.
look for angled bars for the shower wall
I also installed a grab pole as I could place it closer to the toilet and in a better position to the bathtub.
Of note: MAKE SURE this pole is installed ACROSS your joists, not in between or it WILL damage the ceiling! (Ask me how I know!)
If you want to avoid having to drill holes in your tile or walls for grab bars, or for those occasional visits, these appear to be highly rated.
I actually have one of the smaller ones below in my travel kit for mom. I can install it in ANY bathroom and it's nice and portable.
Personally, I wouldn't use the small one for every day in the shower. It's a much smaller target to grab when loosing balance, and it MUST be checked regularly to ensure it is still secure - but it has definitely come in handy while visiting!
You may also want to look at replacing glass shower enclosures with non-shattering material.
I found these and they were very easy to install and so far have held up very well.
However, if you are installing in a normal tub that someone still takes baths in, Dad says they are not the most comfortable to sit on! For the walk in tub, or for a walk in shower they are awesome.
I installed a taller "handi-cap" toilet and a riser.
Originally I had one that just fit down into the bowl. It was absolutely AWFUL to clean! I had to pull the whole thing apart from the toilet. This is the one I have now and it is MUCH easier for the day to day cleaning.
Even though joint pain isn't yet an issue for us, I went with this one for a few reasons.
1 - a single lever is easier for a senior to control, 2 separate controls leaves too much risk of a burn accident in my opinion.
2- Moen is a really well known name/trusted brand. It's not the cheapest but also not the most expensive and I trust it is going to last.
And 3 - I am on well water and Moen is one of the best for standing up to that.
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