Accessible bathrooms
In new buildings or renovations, a modern, accessible bathroom is often installed as standard. And it's hardly surprising – a barrier-free bathroom offers greater comfort, freedom of movement and safety. There are no tripping hazards and the architecture focuses on people and their individual needs. In this way, the accessible bathroom also facilitates everyday life as people grow older – and helps people with limited mobility to retain their independence.
What are the optimal dimensions and layout for an accessible bathroom?
When building new bathrooms or completely renovating existing ones, it therefore makes sense to follow the guidelines laid down in the building standard. The building standard distinguishes between two different categories:
- Accessible buildings: The specifications for accessible bathrooms are aimed at older people.
- Wheelchair-accessible buildings: The criteria for wheelchair-accessible bathrooms ensure that a bathroom can also be used with a wheelchair – more space must be planned accordingly.
Here you can see an overview of the key criteria according to the building standard:
In general, the building standard DIN 18040-2 provides important guidance for accessible buildings. But every person is different – which is why the demands on accessible bathrooms may differ greatly. Elderly people have different needs than people with physical limitations who depend on a wheelchair or the support of relatives.
In this case, customised solutions beyond the building standards can be found in consultation with your specialist installer. In fact, there are many additional options for accessible or disabled bathrooms – for example, height-adjustable toilets for wheelchair users or special lighting for elderly people with failing eyesight.
In some cases, it is also simply not possible to fully implement the recommendations of the building standard for accessible living. If, for example, a bathroom in an old building is being renovated, the required space is often not available. In such cases, it is advisable to make the bathroom as accessible as possible – for example by installing a small, level shower with handrails and a shower stool.
Almost every bathroom can be optimised for use by elderly people via appropriate accessible solutions for the toilet, washbasin and shower. The best approach is to ask your specialist installer for personalised advice on the available options for your bathroom.
Accessibility – also think about the future
It pays to think about tomorrow today – this is especially true when building or renovating bathrooms. In daily life, there is often little time to think about comfortable and safe living in old age. Typically, it is only when the first signs of restricted mobility appear that we suddenly become aware of the problems associated with using a bathroom that has not been designed with accessibility in mind.
For the elderly, remodelling the bathroom is an additional burden that inevitably involves a certain amount of effort and expense. And attempting to "make do" with a bathroom that is not accessible is not a good solution – declining coordination can soon lead to serious falls on wet and slippery floors. Therefore, it is advisable to tackle the accessible bathroom conversion ahead of time.
Benefits of an accessible bathroom
What subsidies are available for accessible bathrooms?
An accessible bathroom is an investment in the future – but it also comes at a cost. If you want to have your bathroom converted, you should check in advance whether you can take advantage of the KfW bank's "Age-Related Conversions" scheme (455-B). If the criteria are met, favourable loans or a KfW grant of up to 10 per cent of the conversion costs – up to a maximum of 5,000 euros – can be claimed. The long-term care insurance scheme also subsidises various conversion measures, such as an entry aid for the bath, an accessible shower or a height-adjustable WC. The cost of aids such as shower stools or shower handles is covered under the statutory health insurance scheme, provided that they are prescribed by a doctor. It is therefore worthwhile finding out about the various funding opportunities before going ahead with a bathroom conversion.