Guest Post buy Steven Moore, Director of Marketing for Budget Bath Inc.
When I get older losing my hair,
Many years from now,
Will you still be sending me a valentine
Birthday greetings bottle of wine?
If I’d been out till quarter to three
Would you lock the door,
Will you still need me, will you still feed me,
When I’m sixty-four?
Most of us know that beautiful song written by Sir Paul McCartney and The Beatles, and listening to it has to make us start to wonder, “what will life be like when WE, are older?” An interesting question indeed! The only thing that is guaranteed in life is change, and our quality of life is dependent of how we react and adapt to those said changes. Take just going to the bathroom for instance… When you were first born, you needed assistance in learning the “technique” of going to the bathroom. Then you graduated to being “independent“, and life went on. What most people fail to think about, however, is that when we get to be that ripe old age of 64, we begin to need assistance in ways that we never knew we would. Balance starts to waiver, our knees don’t bend like they used to, getting off the ground becomes a major challenge… Now is the time to think about the many ways you can remodel your bathroom to help you with just those problems, and to get you started, here are five inexpensive solutions to consider.
Grab Bars
One of the first problems we need to tackle as we age, is the problem of balance. This comes about because as we age, the infrastructure of the inner ear (especially the semicircular canals) break down which leads to a breakdown in our sense of balance. To cope with this, we should install stainless steel grab bars in our bathrooms, making sure they are mounted on wall studs in order to support our weight.
Toilet Replacement
Another common aging issue happens to reside in our knees. Over time, the cartlelidge breaks down in our joints, making moving much more difficult than it once was. Sitting down, getting up, walking, running, all of those things we took for granted when we were younger, just happen to be more difficult, and its really quite bothersome. Well, one of the biggest challenges with those knees will be getting on and off a toilet. This is because the average toilet height is between 12 and 15 inches. For the elders of our great society, a minimum of 16.5 inch height is mandatory for ease of use.
Shower/Bathtub Seat Addition
Those knees are at it again, and this time its in the bathtub. Getting up from a floor seated position can be really tough, even if you are
not that old, let alone when you are getting up in years. One of the best solutions for that particular situation would have to be shower and bathtub seats. Always installed at a custom height for your needs, these are inexpensive alternatives to walk in bathtubs, which can cost up to $10,000.
Sink Handle Replacement
For those who needs either walkers or wheelchairs, turning on the sink can be a real hassle. The extra reach required to turn the knob on a standard vanity may be as much as 10 inches. So to combat that little predicament, changing the handles to the faucet with a longer reach, lever style handle will be a good bet, that even if you are in a wheel chair, washing your hands will be just normal business.
Recessed Storage Additions
There are two reasons why the elderly or handicapped should consider recessed storage. The first being height sensitivity, which means if you are in a wheelchair or a walker, it will be hard for you to reach top shelves and wall mounted storage cabinets. This particular kind of storage can be inset at any height and therefore always able to be accessed by you. The second reason being a reduction in clumsiness. Now what I mean by that, is that wall mounted storage can be pulled off the wall easily if you accidentally fall and decide to grab something to keep yourself from falling. With recessed wall storage, you can post grab bars on each side of the unit so if you decide to fall and take something with you, you will most likely choose a stainless steel bar that will support your weight. For either reason, recessed storage works, and is highly recommended.
So, what will happen when you are 64? Will you be prepared and enjoy the golden years of life, or will you go on and forget what you are learning, and risk injury? In either case, I hope you learned a few tricks for preparing yourself for the later years of life.
This article was written by Steven Moore, The marketing director of Budget Bath Inc - a Maryland bathroom renovation company.
