Designing for the Life Span Segment 4
Designing for the Life Span Segment 4 
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[D]
The bathroom Medicine Cabinet may be inappropriately located above a sink and is a poor location for medications. Critical medications should be located elsewhere- preferably in the kitchen- to insure safe access to the drugs and to a telephone. In the picture to the right, many of the problems associated with the typical wall mounted medicine cabinet are clearly illustrated:
The mirror on the door of the cabinet is useless to anyone who is quite small or is seated at the sink. Medications are out of reach for anyone seated in a wheelchair- or even for the smaller person who is so prevalent in the older population. Medications stored in bathroom medicine cabinets are more likely to expire or lose potency quicker than their projected expiration date owing to the prevailing dampness and moisture that is typical of the bathroom environment. Glass bottles and glass containers should not be stored in medicine cabinets where they may fall to the sink, break and become dangerous.
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Bathroom mirrors should actually be mounted flush against the upper part of the sink - not mounted too high off the sink to use for individuals who are smaller or for those using a wheelchair. This is a relatively common error in bathroom fabrication.
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