Bathroom is one of the most dangerous areas in the house that cause accidents.
The water and the tiles make bathroom floors very slippery.
This danger is amplified in case of elderly or disabled persons.
Most of them need help to move around in the bathroom, and even with help at hand, they can be prone to accidents.
You can make your bathrooms safer for your family members with special needs by installing fixtures like ADA shower seats, enclosures, grab rails and faucet.
You should check that all these products are ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant to make your bathroom safe.
Most of the accidents in the bathroom are caused by wet floor.
Elderly or disabled persons often slip or fall while showering.
They find it difficult to stand in a slippery shower.
To prevent them from falling, you can install an ADA shower seat in the bathroom.
Shower seat reduces the chances of slip or fall and provides the elderly and disabled adequate safety and comfort while showering.
There are different types of shower seats.
There are padded seats that provide a soft surface and foldable ones that can be stored in the cabinets.
You also get seats that have cutouts.
The foldable ones are good if the bathroom is shared by other family members also.
The seats with backrest provide added support as well as comfort.
You need to follow the ADA specifications while installing the shower seat.
These specifications vary with the shape of seat that you wish to install.
For example: Rectangular seats The front edge of the seat should be 15" to 16" from the seat wall, and the rear 2.
5".
The side edge should be 1.
5" away from the adjacent wall.
L-shaped seats The front edge of an L-shaped seat should be 15" to 16" from the seat wall and the rear 2.
5".
The rear edge of the L portion of the seat should be 1.
5" and corresponding front edge 14" to 15" from the wall.
The last portion of the L-shape should be 22" to 23" from the main seat wall.
Other ADA guidelines for shower seats The specifications for the ADA shower seats also differ based on the shower compartments.
Standard roll-in shower, transfer-type shower and alternate roll-in showers - all have different specifications.
Seat supporting structure and mounting device should be able to withstand 250 pounds of force as per the ADA guidelines.
In addition to ADA shower seats, you can enhance the safety of the bathrooms by using locks that can be opened from both sides.
Panic alarms are also helpful to ensure timely help.
You can also get ADA compliant shower heads, faucets, enclosure and grab rails to make bathrooms safer and comfortable for people with special needs.
ADA shower seats and other fixtures like faucets, shower heads and grab rails if installed as per the ADA guidelines will help prevent accidents in the bathroom to a large extent.
These will also enable the elderly and disabled to lead a more independent life.