Tsipi
New member
- Joined
- Feb 6, 2012
- Messages
- 7
- Reason
- Lost a loved one
- Diagnosis
- 01/2012
- Country
- IL
- State
- Israel
- City
- Jerusalem
Hi all,
My husband was diagnosed with ALS in January, and since then he has lost most function of his right hand. Thankfully he still has most motor functions in his left hand, although he has little strength in that hand.
In an effort to prepare ourselves for what lies ahead, we are looking into home renovation. We plan to enlarge the bathroom at the expense of an adjacent walk-in closet, making it a total size of 167 cm x 355 cm (no idea what that is in inches, sorry!). We plan to gut the bathtub and convert it into a walk-in (roll-in) shower, flush with the floor.
Since we haven't been able to find an affordable architect or firm that specializes in such things, we are trying to plan the layout of the bathroom ourselves and find a contractor to carry out the work. Consequently, we have tons of questions.
Our main questions are: what factors do we need to take into account when planning the layout of our new bathroom?
Is a sliding door preferable to a regular door that opens in (or out)?
Is it advisable to have the toilet in a corner, in order to place a grab rail on the wall, or could it be in the center of the wall? Should the toilet be straight ahead when you enter the room, or is it better to place it at a right angle (which is less problematic regarding rotation of the wheelchair)?
Do we need to make any provisions for a body lift (I understand this may become necessary sometime down the line)? If so, what specifications are necessary?
This is a daunting task, and we would appreciate any input you can give us. Thanks!
My husband was diagnosed with ALS in January, and since then he has lost most function of his right hand. Thankfully he still has most motor functions in his left hand, although he has little strength in that hand.
In an effort to prepare ourselves for what lies ahead, we are looking into home renovation. We plan to enlarge the bathroom at the expense of an adjacent walk-in closet, making it a total size of 167 cm x 355 cm (no idea what that is in inches, sorry!). We plan to gut the bathtub and convert it into a walk-in (roll-in) shower, flush with the floor.
Since we haven't been able to find an affordable architect or firm that specializes in such things, we are trying to plan the layout of the bathroom ourselves and find a contractor to carry out the work. Consequently, we have tons of questions.
Our main questions are: what factors do we need to take into account when planning the layout of our new bathroom?
Is a sliding door preferable to a regular door that opens in (or out)?
Is it advisable to have the toilet in a corner, in order to place a grab rail on the wall, or could it be in the center of the wall? Should the toilet be straight ahead when you enter the room, or is it better to place it at a right angle (which is less problematic regarding rotation of the wheelchair)?
Do we need to make any provisions for a body lift (I understand this may become necessary sometime down the line)? If so, what specifications are necessary?
This is a daunting task, and we would appreciate any input you can give us. Thanks!