You never know when the unfortunate may happen, and someone in your family finds themselves having to use some kind of mobility device to get around, temporarily or permanently. Suddenly, what was considered easy for every day use is now a challenge, even using the bath for daily ablutions. Everyone needs to use it, but not all homes have a bathroom wheelchair friendly.

There are ways to do it yourself, and most of them are quite easy to take care of, with minimum muss and fuss. As far as getting around when your mobility is limited, there are a lot of choices these days, but when it comes down to it, even the most lauded mobility scooters will have difficulty maneuvering through the bathroom door. This is the first step in making your bathroom wheelchair friendly: the doorway.

Most manual chairs can make it through the standard doorway, but it might be a tight fit, leading to problems rolling or pushing the chair through it. Sometimes it is just a matter of inches, but it can be quite frustrating. Even mobility scooters with their narrower wheelbase will have a hard time getting through. The solution is simple: remove the molding on either side of the doorway. This will take some effort, but it can be done. You can always temporarily replace those moldings with decorative, flatter molding strips available at most hardware stores.

That completed, you are well on your way to making your bathroom wheelchair accessible, even mobility scooters can now fit through the door. The next challenge is the sink. When you are in a chair, everything that would have been at normal height standing is now out of reach. Unless you can afford to install a second, lower sink, you may need to think of some alternatives. Most medical supply houses will have freestanding frames for bowls that can be filled from the sink by an assistant.

One very useful item to have for making your bathroom wheelchair friendly is a device known as a transfer table. This is a table designed to be adjusted so that it can be set at a level even with the seat of mobility scooters or standard wheelchairs. With this table, the person using the chairs can shift themselves from the chair to the table, and then slide over to the toilet or bath with minimal assistance. They usually come equipped with handrails for safety.

Another important addition to your bath area are handrails. You will need to place sturdy handrails everywhere the person in the chair may need them. There are several kinds of handrails available, from the simple ones you just bolt into the walls to extendable and adjustable ones that you can remove and place as needed. They are mainly intended so that you can pull yourself up from an area safely, like the toilet, tub, and shower. Speaking of safety, it is also a good idea to remove all rugs or mats from the area as well.

When the unfortunate happens, and a loved one becomes dependent on other means for their mobility, it is important to make them feel as independent as possible, in spite of everything else. Adjusting to mobility issues is hard enough without being unable to access all of the rooms in their home. With some time and effort, even the bathroom can be a less frustrating challenge for everyone in the family.


Having trouble getting into personal areas in your home, even with mobility scooters ? Talk to the experts at the Wheelchair Depot for the latest in bathroom wheelchair accessories today.