10 June, 2023
Better Living Through Better Bathrooms
A safe, accessible, and stylish transformation! This newly modified bathroom combines functionality with modern design, ensuring ease and independence for our participant and their supports.
Home modifications transform a person’s home environment to make it more accessible and safer for participants, their families, and formal supports. Under NDIS guidelines, home modifications can range from minor adjustments to complex structural changes.
Minor modifications involve non-structural updates, such as installing grab rails or small ramps. In contrast, complex home modifications are larger, structural changes that may include a full bathroom renovation, a large access ramp, or creating a wheelchair-accessible kitchen.
Many participants require home modifications to safely use mobility aids such as wheelchairs, walking frames, or hoists within their homes.
Recently, our Occupational Therapist Ally helped one participant complete a complex bathroom modification. The original bathroom posed several environmental barriers, including:
- A shower over the bath,
- Slippery flooring, and
- Limited circulation space.
These issues made it difficult and unsafe for the participant and her supports to perform self-care activities. Ally collaborated closely with the participant’s family and the building services provider to achieve the following:
- A level-access transition from the hallway to the bathroom,
- A spacious, level-access shower,
- A fold-down shower seat for added safety and convenience, and
- Increased circulation space to enable safe carer assistance.
And as a bonus? The result is not just functional but also a stylish and modern bathroom!
