15 replies to this topic

[LindsayO]

I am in the UK, and have a grant for a bathroom and kitchen refit. So far so good

My problem is that the bathroom is very narrow (4 feet wide) and so the OT has recommended that I put a wheelchair accessible bathroom in what was originally a scullery off the kitchen.

I don't like this option because:

this room is far from my bedroom for middle of the night trips to the toilet
if I eventually need a hoist/lift I will need a bathroom adjacent to my bedroom anyway

the current bathroom shares a wall with my bedroom. my thought was to put large sliding doors in that wall so that I could have a turn circle in the bathroom that extended into the bedroom. Is this a workable idea or just madness?

[goldnucs]

Hi Lindsey,

Should that plan not work out (and it does not sound very feasible from my understanding), you might consider using a more compact shower chair with a tub slide to get you into the tub. Take a look at www.GoesAnywhere.com, click on "Products" and look at the CST model. This may eliminate the need to make any modifications to your bathroom and have to lose all that space in the kitchen.

Happy New Year!!

rick

[LindsayO]

goldnucs, on 31 December 2010 - 02:34 PM, said:

Hi Lindsey,

Should that plan not work out (and it does not sound very feasible from my understanding), you might consider using a more compact shower chair with a tub slide to get you into the tub. Take a look at www.GoesAnywhere.com, click on "Products" and look at the CST model. This may eliminate the need to make any modifications to your bathroom and have to lose all that space in the kitchen.

Happy New Year!!

rick

nick, thank you for your reply and thoughful suggestion, unfortunately at 4 feet wide the bathroom is too narrow to accomodate a chair alongside the bath, hence the need for a refit.

[DaveP]

I had a bathroom about that wide in my last house. How long is your bathroom?

You could have a "wheel-in" shower at one end, with toilet the other and wash basin in the middle so you can get your legs under the wash basin, which helps with your turning circle. You'd need to make sure the wash basin has nothing underneath and ideally one with a plug hole at the back rather than the centre, so the drain pipe is further away.

This sort of simple layout will mean you can transfer on to the toilet or reverse a shower/toilet chair over the toilet, and then wheel in to the shower.

Make a sketch and put it on here so we can see where the door's going to be etc.

[qbounce]

I have a master bedroom with a bathroom inside it, so I was able to take the door out completely and double the bathroom opening. You could put in a pocket door as you suggested, or you might opt to have the door swing out and/or install swing away door hinges (google it or use the search in these threads), which allow the door to lay flush against the wall it opens to. These hinges are a great inexpensive option, and add an extra 2 inches to your doorway entrance.

[edlee]

I like your original idea. The wider sliding door. If you sacrifice a few inches of bedroom you could use two, butting, pocket doors and have six foot of opening with both opened, And the option of which is open for privacy or esthetics.

The problem you might encounter is one a friend of mine has. He simply opened the wall between his bedroom and bath,,, no doors,,, When showering, he finds he gets a lot of water vapor moving into the bedroom area. He solved the problem with a powered vent above the shower,,, no problem, now,,, except that he has to keep his bathroom neater.

Good luck with the refit.
ed

ps,,, opt for the roll in shower, if at all possible.

[LindsayO]

Thank you all for your suggestions. I've attached two images.

The first is the current layout


The second is the layout proposed by the OT


as you can see it is not a large flat and I don't have much storage space, so it seems a waste to have two bathrooms.

The current bathroom is 9 foot long and 4 foot wide. I think it would be workable without even putting in a sliding door. I can turn my wheelchair in the space outside the bathroom and if I replaced the bath with a roll-in shower could back into the bathroom. But the OT seems insistant that it wouldn't work

[Angela250153]

I think to some degree I agree with your OT in putting your bathroom in that small room at the back, but I would not swap the bedrooms.

You said that you don't have much storage in the flat and that 2 bathrooms would be a waste. I think that you could increase your storage by taking the bathtub out but leave the loo in. That would give you space for some storage cupboards. Visitors could then still use the loo without traipsing through your bedroom. Only people staying over would need to go through if they wanted to take a shower.

You would keep your nice big living room, have your en-suite and you would escape this dreaded fashion of having kitchen and living room in one

Edited by Angela250153, 01 January 2011 - 10:41 PM.

[edlee]

The OT will never agree unless the room has the "requisit" 5 foot circle. That seems to be the "holy grail" of accessability. With a 4 x 9 area,, that isn't possible. Personally, I like your idea about removing the tub and making that entire area, including the toilet, a wet area. Meaning that it is tiled and has a floor drain. A curtain could be used,,, or not, as you please. It simplifies the transfer from toilet to shower, by making that transfer unnecessary.

One the other hand,,, using the OT's idea about the new bathroom,, but keeping the bedroom and living room alone,,, then making the original bath into a rather nice, large closet,, opening to either bedroom. You still have the problem of guests going thru your bedroom to get to the bath,,, but how often is that going to be a problem?

Small flats are hard to rearange,,, they are generally fairly econimical concerning use of space, to start. Best of luck.

Oh, by the way,,, changing drain lines is usually the most expensive part,, so keeping them close to original will be a lot easier for the contractor,, and the price tag.
ed

[LindsayO]

Angela250153, on 01 January 2011 - 10:32 PM, said:

I think to some degree I agree with your OT in putting your bathroom in that small room at the back, but I would not swap the bedrooms.

You said that you don't have much storage in the flat and that 2 bathrooms would be a waste. I think that you could increase your storage by taking the bathtub out but leave the loo in. That would give you space for some storage cupboards. Visitors could then still use the loo without traipsing through your bedroom. Only people staying over would need to go through if they wanted to take a shower.

You would keep your nice big living room, have your en-suite and you would escape this dreaded fashion of having kitchen and living room in one

the problem is that I need to have a larger kitchen too. It doesn't really show up well in the drawings but the kitchen as it is just has enough room for me to wheel my chair in, but I can't turn round in it. The kitchen and adjoining bedroom were once one big kitchen/dining room, and so the plan is to take out the stud wall that divides the kitchen from the bedroom. All the other walls are solid brick and taking them out would need a steel beam installed

[Angela250153]

Ahh the kitchen problem changes that, but I would still remove the tub from the current bathroom and leave the loo and the sink and use the space for storage. Depending which bedroom you use it would also mean a shorter trip to the loo at night.

[DaveP]

I've been trying to find some photos to help show you and the only ones I could find were these two.

This first one shows you a very small but functional wheel-in shower. Note the wash basin on the left which was secured to the corner by a marble slab so it was totally clear underneath.

My idea for your bathroom, which you say is 4 x 9 foot, is to have the wheel-in shower at the far end - 4 x 4ft - with a grill-type drain to stop the water flowing out of the shower in the the remainder of the bathroom.

That leaves 5ft to place a toilet and wash basin on the left wall. If you place the toilet in the centre you can use a drop-down grab-rail and have the wash basin on the left, immediately as you enter the bathroom, so the corner can support a stone slab with a wash basin in the centre.

Door would have to swing inwards and hinged on the right, so it opens flush with the wall opposite the wash basin and toilet.

Another example of the wash basin on the same wall as a toilet, but has a bath. Rather than having a bath, you'd have your wheel-in shower.

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[LindsayO]

DaveP, on 02 January 2011 - 03:37 PM, said:

I've been trying to find some photos to help show you and the only ones I could find were these two.

This first one shows you a very small but functional wheel-in shower. Note the wash basin on the left which was secured to the corner by a marble slab so it was totally clear underneath.

My idea for your bathroom, which you say is 4 x 9 foot, is to have the wheel-in shower at the far end - 4 x 4ft - with a grill-type drain to stop the water flowing out of the shower in the the remainder of the bathroom.

That leaves 5ft to place a toilet and wash basin on the left wall. If you place the toilet in the centre you can use a drop-down grab-rail and have the wash basin on the left, immediately as you enter the bathroom, so the corner can support a stone slab with a wash basin in the centre.

Door would have to swing inwards and hinged on the right, so it opens flush with the wall opposite the wash basin and toilet.

Another example of the wash basin on the same wall as a toilet, but has a bath. Rather than having a bath, you'd have your wheel-in shower.

DaveP, that looks like a great design for me. One of my neighbours has the same basic layout as you suggest except their shower isn't level access, but the bathroom dimensions are the same. I'm wondering how the wheelchair to toilet transfer would work and how much space I'd have for getting past the toilet to the shower, but it looks like a real possibility

[DaveP]

You can use a drop-down grab rail to transfer on to the toilet, or you could have a small wall built between the toilet and shower area, and pop a grab rail on this small wall. I had this done and it helps keep the water in, plus it gives you somewhere to put the shampoo etc. It only needs to be about 2ft high - maybe a touch more. If your bathroom is 3ft wide, work out how wide your chair is and then you'll know how much gap is left. An average toilet seat is around 45 - 50cm but you also need to add around 20 - 25cm for the water tank/cistern. However, shop around for a toilet seat and try to find one that is as short in length as possible. If it's not the right height for you, a plumber can easily increase the height for you by adding some spacer/bricks at the base - you dont need to buy an excessively expensive "disabled" toilet jus tbecause it's higher.

Best to use a wash basin that has the plug hole as far back as possible - ie as near to the wall as possible. This means the waste pipe is further away from your knees.

[mellowgator]

lindsey,

a pedistool sink would work well. it's small and it allows you access without having pipes showing.

i have an accessible toilet but i rarely sit on it. i approach it from the front and cath into it and i'm sitting in my shower chair over it when i do my bowels. i do have grab bars on either side.

i've seen a modified shower that fits where a standard tub would be.

there are so many different ways to pull this off.

best wishes.

mellowgator

[LindsayO]

Ok I'm going to email the achitect and call the OT and ask if they can look at the layout again.

My worry is that even if I came up with a workable solution for the current bathroom, one that actually works for me, that the OT would not approve it. I wonder if they would give me the grant for just the kitchen bit and I could get the bathroom done privately.

Anyway thanks everyone I will keep you posted