Are you in the process of remodeling a bathroom for your retirement home, and want to make sure that you are prepared for what will happen if you need to use a wheelchair or walker later in life? If so, it will help to make the following changes that will make the bathroom more handicap accessible.

Wider Entry Door

If you live in an older home, you may have noticed that your old entry door is kind of small. It wasn't until the Americans With Disability Act was created that doorways were required to be wide enough to accommodate people that may have a wider wheelchair. That's why it is worth looking at the door and how it can be expanded to a wider door that meets ADA specifications. 

Grab Bars

It can help to have grab bars installed in places where someone can need additional help getting up or down. Consider placing these near the toilet and in the shower so that you have the additional support if you need it. 

Curbless Shower

A curbless shower is a great way to make it easier for someone to get in and out of the shower. When you have a bathtub or even a standard shower stall, the lip that someone needs to step over can make it very difficult to handle the shower on their own. Switching it to a curbless style shower will make it easy to get a walker into the shower if necessary.

Motion Sensor Lights

Having one less thing for someone to do when entering the bathroom is going to make it much easier for someone that has a handicap. Motion sensor lights will ensure that someone doesn't have to reach for a light switch when they enter the bathroom. Just make sure to set the timer on it to be long enough so the light doesn't turn off while someone is showering. 

Motion Sensor Faucet

Another place where you can add a motion sensor is the faucet. This makes it very easy for someone to wash their hands when they don't have to worry about turning the water on. You can even keep the temperature set so that it doesn't change each time that the water comes on.

These are just a few ways that you can make your bathroom more handicap accessible when performing a bathroom remodel. Ask your contractor for ideas about what else you can do.