Aging in Place: Designing a Safe & Accessible Bathroom in Lakewood, CO

More than ever, homeowners in Lakewood are choosing to stay in their homes as they age. But older homes in neighborhoods like Green Mountain and Bear Creek weren't built with accessibility in mind. Narrow doorways, slippery floors, and high bathtub walls make the bathroom the most dangerous room in the house.

"Aging in place" doesn't mean your bathroom has to look like a hospital room. Modern accessible design blends safety with luxury. You can have a bathroom that is incredibly safe for a senior but looks like a high-end spa.

In this guide, we break down the best upgrades for an accessible bathroom remodel in Lakewood, CO, from curbless showers to invisible grab bars, and what these changes typically cost.

The Foundation of Safety: The Curbless Shower

The most common cause of bathroom falls is stepping over the high wall of a traditional bathtub. The most effective solution is removing the tub entirely and installing a walk-in shower. But for maximum safety, you want a curbless (zero-entry) shower.

A curbless shower has no threshold to step over. The bathroom floor seamlessly transitions into the shower floor.

Why Curbless is Better Than a Walk-In Tub

Walk-in tubs are aggressively marketed to seniors, but they have a massive flaw: you have to get inside, shut the door, and sit there freezing while the tub fills up. When you are done, you have to sit there shivering while the tub completely drains before you can open the door to get out.

A curbless shower allows you to walk (or roll a wheelchair) directly in, turn on the warm water instantly, and sit on a built-in bench. It's safer, more comfortable, and adds far more resale value to your home.

Essential Upgrades for an Accessible Bathroom

1. "Invisible" Grab Bars

You no longer have to install ugly, institutional metal bars on your walls. Today's grab bars are disguised as stylish bathroom hardware. You can install toilet paper holders, towel racks, and shower shelves that are actually ADA-compliant grab bars rated to hold up to 500 pounds. We anchor these directly into the wall studs during the remodel so they are rock-solid.

2. Slip-Resistant Flooring

Glossy tiles are beautiful but dangerous when wet. For an accessible bathroom, we use textured porcelain tile or small mosaic tiles (which have more grout lines for traction). The Coefficient of Friction (COF) rating should be high to ensure the floor grips well even when soapy.

3. Hand-Held Showerheads

A hand-held shower wand on a sliding vertical bar is essential. It allows someone sitting on a shower bench to easily wash themselves without having to stand or move around. We often install this alongside a traditional rainfall showerhead for maximum versatility.

4. Comfort Height Toilets

Standard toilets are about 15 inches tall. A "Comfort Height" or ADA-compliant toilet is 17 to 19 inches tall—the height of a standard chair. This makes sitting down and standing up significantly easier on the knees and back.

How Much Does an Accessible Remodel Cost in Lakewood?

The cost of making a bathroom accessible depends on the extent of the changes. Here are typical budget ranges for Lakewood, CO:

• Basic Safety Update ($1,500 – $3,000): Keeping the existing layout but adding heavy-duty grab bars, a comfort height toilet, and a hand-held shower wand.
• Tub-to-Shower Conversion ($8,000 – $15,000): Removing the dangerous bathtub and installing a custom, low-barrier walk-in tile shower with a built-in bench.
• Full Accessible Remodel ($18,000 – $30,000+): Gutting the bathroom to widen doorways, install a true curbless shower (which requires subfloor modification), update all flooring to non-slip tile, and install a wheelchair-accessible vanity.

Frequently Asked Questions