Bathroom Design for a Client with Parkinson’s
This week, we finished up design work for a lovely family in the Austin area who has been impacted by Parkinson’s Disease. Our client was diagnosed with PD a few years ago, and now primarily utilizes his wheelchair for mobility. He has great family support, but has still been limited by the constraints of his home. He has been having difficulty safely getting into and out of his tub, and is currently unable to effectively navigate his bathroom while using his wheelchair.
In August, we wrote up an article for the Capital Area Parkinson’s Society’s monthly newsletter that highlights some design elements that are specific to the PD community. Our client and his family reached out for design recommendations before beginning their construction project in order to get our perspective on their individual needs. Because our clients were not yet sure what their final budget would be, Stevo and I provided the family with three different options across a range of price points. We wanted to take the opportunity to share some of our favorite elements of the design work on the blog.
The first area that needed to be addressed was the tub-shower combo. We completely removed the tub insert and replaced it with a barrier-free roll-in shower. This is a fairly significant undertaking because it involves adjusting the height of the foundation to ensure a seamless transition into and out of the shower, but it is the option that provides the greatest accessibility to our client. Other solutions included a shower insert (which has about a 1” threshold to navigate), or the installation of a curbed shower (which is still better than a tub, but usually leaves you with a 3-5” step — not ideal when your primary mode of transportation is a wheelchair). I can’t wait to see which option our client and his family ultimately choose to incorporate into their space!
We also deigned a custom vanity that accommodates our client’s wheelchair and will allow him to use the sink area much more efficiently. The design ties into the existing cabinets, which was really important for the family to maintain because they didn’t want to lose out on valuable storage space. Take note of the pivot mirror above the sink, which can easily be adjusted to the needs of all members of the family — both our client who uses a wheelchair and his ambulatory loved ones. One of my favorite elements of barrier-free design are all of the little things that can have a monumental impact on the big picture. Something as simple as a mirror can make a significant difference in a client’s ability to perform everyday tasks. When you are able to perform those tasks with less effort, it conserves energy that can be spent on all the fun stuff!
What a blessing it is to be able to help our clients maximize their functionality at home. If you have any questions about this bathroom remodel, or know someone who would benefit from a project like this, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
