Your Shower Guide: Walk-in Showers for Seniors

Are you concerned about your safety when stepping in and out of your bathtub? Having difficulty keeping your balance when standing on the slick bathtub floor? Walk-in showers for seniors can make all the difference when it comes to your safety and independence.

Walk-in showers offer all kinds of benefits. They are a helpful alternative to standard showers, which are often situated over a traditional tub. And you can outfit them with many different safety features to improve your experience.

Read on to learn more about the advantages of a walk-in shower and to decide whether installing one is right for you.

Walk-in Showers for Seniors: Prevent Slips and Falls

You want to continue to live in your own home but are noticing that some tasks are becoming a bit more difficult. For example, you may find that you need help getting out of the tub or that you have almost slipped in your bathroom. It’s a common experience.

Each year, emergency rooms see over 2.8 million injuries due to falls. Preventing falls is crucial. An addition of a walk-in shower will allow you to adapt your bathroom to your health and safety needs, so you can remain comfortable at home and prevent falls.

Walk-in showers are an easier and safer option for those with changing mobility needs. They can help you age in place and protect your health and independence.

Where to Start: 5 Top Bathroom Safety Features

Here are five popular bathroom safety features that can be installed in your new walk-in shower.

Grab Bars

Grab bars are reliable tools to help you keep your balance and catch yourself if you lose that balance. You can use them during your shower and as something to grip as you enter and exit the shower. Grab bars are also customizable. So you can install ones that will meet your needs and desires.

Curbless Shower Framing

What curbless shower framing refers to is when a shower does not require you to step over a sizeable curb, or threshold, to enter. For this reason, they are also often called zero-threshold showers. A great benefit to curbless shower framing is that you can keep solid footing and not have to lift your feet any higher than you do when you walk normally.

Anti-Slip Surfaces

Anti-slip surfaces are a common safety feature and can provide extra security. Anti-slip coatings on the shower floor are especially helpful. The texture of the floor is similar to an anti-slip mat, but you don’t have to worry about it bunching up or proper placement. It’s a simple and easy-to-maintain safety feature.

Anti-Scald Options

Ever turned a shower knob too far in one direction? The water temperature can quickly become far too hot! This is why many walk-in showers for seniors offer important anti-scald technology. It protects seniors from injury caused by dangerously hot water.

This feature may be especially appealing to you if you have sensitive skin.

Sit-Down Shower Seat

Walk-in showers can also include shower seats that give you a relaxing shower experience while sitting down. The shower seat can be fairly tall, making it more comfortable and easier to use. By combining a shower seat with grab bars, lowering and raising yourself onto the shower seat becomes easy.

Accessibility: How to Decide Between a Walk-in Shower or Tub

There are many innovative and comfortable bathing options for seniors aging in place, including both walk-in showers and walk-in bathtubs. There are different things to keep in mind while you consider which option is best for you.

Safety is key. That means you should determine whether a walk-in shower or bathtub offers the best safety for your circumstances.

Standing:

For example, you might be uncomfortable standing for the entire duration of a shower. In this case, a walk-in tub might be better for you. Though if you still prefer showers over baths, you can consider the advantages of a walk-in shower with a shower seat.

Stepping:

Safety goes hand in hand with accessibility. Though walk-in tubs usually have fairly low thresholds to step over, walk-in showers typically have even lower thresholds of a few inches at most. So if large steps are difficult for you and you worry about falls in the bathroom, you may consider these differences.

Accessing:

Both walk-in showers and tubs can offer access to wheelchair users but in different ways. Curbless walk-in showers provide direct wheelchair access into the shower. This is especially true if you’ve chosen to go with one without a traditional open-and-close glass shower door.

On the other hand, some walk-in bathtubs open widely and allow wheelchair users to easily slide into the seat in the tub. One of these options for handicapped access may work better for you than the other.

Other considerations include space and cost. And if you have limited space in your bathroom, a walk-in shower may be a better fit. Walk-in showers for seniors can sometimes be less expensive than walk-in tubs. [Learn more affordable walk-in tubs here.]

Considerations When Converting or Installing a Walk-in Shower

If you think a walk-in shower is for you, here are some additional thoughts around its installation.

Do you have an existing bathtub?

Worry not if you have a bathtub that would need removal before installing a new walk-in shower. Walk-in showers can directly replace your bathtub. It’s a common request for professional contractors.

There are no restrictions to fitting a shower in your home. Walk-in showers offer all kinds of new and exciting features, but that doesn’t mean they have to take up more room than standard showers. In other words, one can certainly work in your bathroom! You might even end up with more free space since bathtubs sometimes take up more room.

That said, if you have the space and would like an even larger walk-in shower, there are custom options for that, too!

What are your accessibility needs?

It’s important that your bathroom offers great mobility. So before installing a walk-in shower, a professional contractor will help ensure that its size and placement will leave you sufficient space to move freely around in the bathroom.

They may ask you questions about whether you need to keep equipment like a wheelchair or walker near the shower. If so, they’ll guide you toward the best placement of your shower and ensure that you have the ADA-recommended five-foot turning radius for wheelchair users.

Another accessibility consideration is the height of your grab bars. If you choose to include supportive grab bars in your shower, you want to get the best use out of them. Your home installer will ensure they are placed at the best height for you.

What is your budget?

Walk-in shower prices can vary based on a variety of factors. Bigger walk-in showers for seniors will often cost more than smaller showers. Material choice and customizations may also contribute to the total cost.

In addition, there are installation costs to consider. Installation costs cover labor and can vary based on: average costs in your area, where you will be having the shower installed, if any extra labor is required due to unique characteristics in your space, and more.

Google searches can turn up a lot of confusing information when it comes to “how much does a walk-in shower cost?” So, it is always a good idea to get a custom quote.

Get a Free Walk-in Shower Quote

Ready to learn more about a walk-in shower for your home? We can help! All it takes is a few quick questions and we’ll connect you with the best walk-in shower company for your needs.

It’s quick. It’s simple. It’s free. And before you know it, you’ll be on your way to a safer (and spa-like) shower experience!

Press the button below to get your free quote started now!