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"Smartened up and walked away!"
(set 20 days ago)
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I'm with the OP - we have a higher toilet because my son is 6'5" and when we remodeled it wasn't that much more as far as cost. I love it at 5'4" and hate to use facilities without them as I feel like I'm falling. I've also wondered why stalls aren't put into more homes these days instead of tubs as I hate cleaning the tub with all the bending and reaching - and I'm still young - give it 20 yrs and lord only knows how I'll accomplish that task.
Another thing I also found funny - is the amt of seniors who move to townhouses or homes with stairs - at 60 you may still be limber enough to climb - but I'm looking ahead to 80 - so a 1 floor plan - with a shower stall and high toilet is what I'll be looking for once we retire.
I agree with OP. It's similar to why I like my CRV. I can just slide in and out. Recently when riding with someone who owns an Infiniti Q25, I had to go so low, I thought we were going to compete in NASCAR.
Last edited by Rastafellow; 10-30-2018 at 02:14 PM..
Reason: change word
I'm with the OP - we have a higher toilet because my son is 6'5" and when we remodeled it wasn't that much more as far as cost. I love it at 5'4" and hate to use facilities without them as I feel like I'm falling. I've also wondered why stalls aren't put into more homes these days instead of tubs as I hate cleaning the tub with all the bending and reaching - and I'm still young - give it 20 yrs and lord only knows how I'll accomplish that task.
Another thing I also found funny - is the amt of seniors who move to townhouses or homes with stairs - at 60 you may still be limber enough to climb - but I'm looking ahead to 80 - so a 1 floor plan - with a shower stall and high toilet is what I'll be looking for once we retire.
My last apartment had a shower stall. You still have to reach to clean the bottom of the stall. I.did buy a telescoping mop type thing but it still wasn't easy.
I will say that those suction mount handles for the shower should not be used as a substitute for a real securely braced grab bar. They are fine just to momentarily steady yourself, but if you put any real weight on one of those suction ones with the clip that snaps it on, it will come off and you could really fall hard.
Definitely not talking about those. These are permanent installations drilled into the walls.
We bought a condo apartment, 2 bedrooms, 2 baths which is independent living, but not a "home". It has a stall shower with hand rails in the master bath. I had the low toilets replaced with the high ones. We had done that where we previously lived and liked them. I have also installed ceiling fans and have started replacing door knobs with lever handle locks.
Assisted living has a communal dining room and cleaning service. Independent living is like a regular apartment where you do your own cooking and housekeeping. Both are found in different 55+ communities.
With a condo the association does the exterior maintenance, and you do not need to own a ladder or mower.
The only time I take a bath is when I want to use my Epsom Salts. I take a quick shower first though because, like you, I don't want to sit in dirty water.
When I broke my hip last year I got one of those risers for my toilet because it hurt like crazy to try sitting on my low toilet. I liked it enough to keep using it for a while after I didn't need it anymore and then loaned it to a friend who broke her hip.
yeah, myself and a lot of other girls at work have concluded that those lower toilets should be on the outs...they are uncomfortable, and if you have any problems what-so-ever, they are certainly not user friendly...
why does it take society so long to figure something like this out?
I'm with the OP - we have a higher toilet because my son is 6'5" and when we remodeled it wasn't that much more as far as cost. I love it at 5'4" and hate to use facilities without them as I feel like I'm falling. I've also wondered why stalls aren't put into more homes these days instead of tubs as I hate cleaning the tub with all the bending and reaching - and I'm still young - give it 20 yrs and lord only knows how I'll accomplish that task.
Another thing I also found funny - is the amt of seniors who move to townhouses or homes with stairs - at 60 you may still be limber enough to climb - but I'm looking ahead to 80 - so a 1 floor plan - with a shower stall and high toilet is what I'll be looking for once we retire.
yeah, my sister and I talk about that all the time, why would you purchase a home with stairs, when you're older? She said a whole lot of those town houses are going in with 3 flights of steps...who would want to invest in something like that? It's great if your younger, but even then can remember not liking to climb stairs. I've always been a one floor gal. LOL
She explained that they buy a little bit of land and fit these townhouses on that land to make money....but for years now, and I mean years, I've often wondered why anyone would want to do stairs all the time?
If you have two bathrooms, why not put at least one stall shower in? They are beautiful, which shelves and seats in them...
I don't believe younger people think ahead...I know I didn't. lol...but what you said, is convenient...
We bought a condo apartment, 2 bedrooms, 2 baths which is independent living, but not a "home". It has a stall shower with hand rails in the master bath. I had the low toilets replaced with the high ones. We had done that where we previously lived and liked them. I have also installed ceiling fans and have started replacing door knobs with lever handle locks.
Assisted living has a communal dining room and cleaning service. Independent living is like a regular apartment where you do your own cooking and housekeeping. Both are found in different 55+ communities.
With a condo the association does the exterior maintenance, and you do not need to own a ladder or mower.
I'm going to be 70 next month, and where I am moving to, it's going to be a first floor apartment, but after I get there, will most certainly look into assistant living places, b/c I know that's coming.
I just wish more apartment complexes would jump on board when they are building them and install one stall shower, and high toilets...
Have you noticed, when you close your eyes in the shower, to wash your face or hair, you get dizzy? That's where shower handles also come in handy.
But there are going to be so so many older people, say from their 50's on up, who are certainly not ready for assisted living, and should make some very easy changes when they put up new apartments.
1. Stall showers in a 2 bathroom home.
2. Higher toilets
3. handle bars in showers and tubs...
The cost of doing so, wouldn't be horrific, but wise. There are going to be a lot of boomers looking for apartments.
I've jumped on downsizing and packing, doing it little by little...and running things down to the consignment shop. Never bothered me to get rid of things...they are just that, things....
I moved from my second floor apartment to a ground level apartment.
You can buy a transfer bench (has suction cups for your tub/shower apartment bathroom. Some of the bench is outside of the tub. You sit on the bench outside of the tub while you lift your legs over the tub then you close the shower curtain and slide over. You probably want to have a hand held shower spray with a long cord and make sure the controls are on the hand held part. I wrap mine around the handle on the bench because the thing on the wall to hold it kept falling off. You will have a shower curtain with a liner. You cut the liner and slide it through the slats on the bench so the liner stays inside the tub while you shower. Can't imagine it working with a sliding door shower/tub.
Make sure when the shower head is replaced, you save the old one. The maintenance man in my apartment complex installed mine for me because my tall male therapist had a hard time getting the old shower head off but typically any person that can reach it can get it off and replace it. But when you leave the apartment for good, they are going to want to put the old shower head back on.
Here is a photo of one of the benches I described:
To use one, you must be able to lift your leg over the side of the tub while you are in a seated position. High tub sides would make it hard to do.
A standard sized toilet should be okay if you are short. If you have trouble standing up and typically push your self up using arm rests when you sit in any chair in a home or office, one of these (link below) can be placed around your apartment toilet because no holes in the wall or cabinet are needed:
I have a different bathroom for guests. That helps, too.
Newer apartments are required (pretty sure it's not just a state requirement) to have large door openings for rooms and outside entrances that can accommodate wheelchairs so you should look for that when apartment hunting in case one day you need it for wheelchair, scooter or rollator. Don't think that will be a problem in any apartment complex built after the early 1990s. You should also look at the size of the halls (if any) and how easy it would be to turn around using one of the above. Ditto the bathrooms.
I can only reach the bottom shelves of my overhead cabinets but that was true when I was short in my 20s, too. Then, however, I could stand on something and not worry about falling.
As far as stairs go, it won't just be a leg issue. It could be a dizziness or weakness issue. You are going to be holding onto the bannister with one hand and carrying things up and down with the other. One less hand to lug things may mean you have to make multiple trips up and down the stairs. Who needs that? We're talking about stairs inside and outside.
Another issue is where do you park? You may want to rent a garage in your apartment complex but are they as close to your apartment entrance compared to parking in a lot right outside of your apartment entrance? Think grocery lugging. I know, I know. You are thinking about snow but as a retiree, do you really have to go outside or can you wait until the sun melts most of it. Maybe the supermarkets deliver.
I know no one thinks about these things when they first retire. I certainly didn't.
I have a foldable lightweight shopping cart that you can push or pull. I use it to bring things between my car and my apartment.
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Then, however, I could stand on something and not worry about falling.
