Project profile:

Project Type: Remodel

 

Situation:

 

A family with two handicap girls asked us to modify their bathroom for accessibility. Before the Adaptable Home remodel, the area was divided into three different rooms and navigation of the small space with a wheelchair was almost impossible. The layout consisted of a two-room room bathroom (separate toilet and tub/shower areas) and a laundry room. 

 

Our clients were using an old whirlpool tub to bathe their girls, and lifting them into the tub chair was a daily struggle. The small divided rooms did not allow for wheelchair access, and the girls could not use the sink because the vanity cabinets blocked room for their wheelchair and legs. Overall it was a cramped and unsafe room that amplified the daily struggles for the girls.

 

Solution:

 

After meeting the family and studying a home evaluation report done by Kent County Disability Advocates, we determined a bathroom remodel was needed.  We took down the walls separating the bathrooms tub/shower area and combined it with the adjacent laundry room to make one large “wet room”.  Maneuvering a wheelchair in and around the bathroom is no longer a problem!

The family asked for two vanities and two toilets so multiple people could use the room at once with help of a caregiver.

 

The old soaking tub was replaced with a curbless roll in shower so the girls could wheel right up to the bathing area. In this project, we used “caregiver doors” to allow a family member or aid to assist in bathing while staying dry outside the shower area. Lifting and maneuvering in and out of the tub is no longer a safety hazard for the girls or their help. We added grab bars in both the shower and around the bathroom for additional support and safety. The remodel also included installing a few personal touches like a privacy curtain and ceiling mounted TV for entertainment while using their new bathroom.