Designing for the Life Span Segment 4

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[D]

Slide 31 Content

The bathroom presents a number of challenges and serious problems for safety in the older home. The need for renovation of the bathroom in the older home may be a significant issue.

First and foremost, entranceway doors are frequently too narrow for passage- sometimes 26 inches or less in opening.
Older homes have bathrooms with sinks, tubs and toilets located in positions that are usually not optimal- or relating to any standard of construction. Accessibility is complicated by arbitrary product location.
Lighting may be poorly located and of inadequate luminescence.
The tightness of space presents problems of access- complicated by the collection of other products that accumulate over time.
A primary change would be to insure that the door to the bathroom swings outward or has release hardware to allow the door to swing in both directions in an emergency.
Installing a telephone in the bathroom should be considered a necessity for an older person.

Narration of Slide 31

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The bathroom is the most dangerous place in the home. With the potential for water spillage to the floor surfaces, slipping and falling are constant perils. Shown in this slide is a man entering a bathroom that has a 26" door - far to small for even an ambulatory person. Bathrooms should have an entrance that is no less than 30 inches in width with 32 inches preferred.

Bathroom doors should open outward - or be equipped with release hardware permitting a door to swing both inward and outward. Falling against an inward opening door means trapping the victim making rescue and assistance difficult - or even too late.

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Designing for the Life Span Segment 4

Slide 31 of 78

Slide 31 Content

Narration of Slide 31