Those who are aging in place, or others who have experienced life-altering events affecting their mobility, often need help in and around the home.
This is especially true in the bathroom, which is where most serious falls around the home occur. Whether or not you are looking at the prospect of assisting an elder to age in place, or have suddenly found yourself with a need to provide a loved one with an aide for care and assistance, you may find yourself faced with a dilemma.
Do you invest in a bathroom remodel, or do you work with what you have by installing a shower chair or a transfer bench to help minimize the risks of slips and falls?
Both are with their advantages and disadvantages. This post will help break down some of the costs and considerations.
Why a Solution Is Necessary
The conditions explored by this article are those of necessity, and safety, rather than vanity. Here we are going to consider the need for a bathroom with improved accessibility and fewer trip hazards and other risks, rather than remodels that are performed for the purpose of updating the look and feel of a home.
For the elderly and others living with limited mobility, the need to enter and exit the shower or bathtub more easily is not just a matter of comfort, but of safety, as slips and falls are a persistent risk. So let’s take a closer look at the two main options.
The Costs of a Bathroom Remodel
First let’s consider the costs associated with a bathroom remodel or refit, as well as some other factors that need to be weighed.
How much you will pay for a bathroom remodel depends on plenty of factors, including but not limited to the cost and availability of materials, access to professional labor, how large the bathroom is, and what your timeline is.
It is also important to consider that in recent years, especially in the wake of the pandemic, the price of labor and materials have both increased significantly. The prices of construction materials specifically have ballooned as a result of widespread shortages incurred by high demand.
Nonetheless, you can expect to pay anywhere from $10,000 to as high as $70,000, and potentially even more, for a full-scale remodel. With that said, if you’re only redoing the bathroom for reasons of functionality and accessibility, rather than for cosmetic reasons, the price should be somewhere on the lower end of the spectrum.
Moreover, if you have the skills, and can perform the labor yourself, you can shave anywhere from 40% to 50% off the price - and possibly even more. That is, however, a large commitment, and not an option to all who are faced with the prospect.
There is something else to consider here - the timeline. Basic bathroom refits can be accomplished relatively quickly, but that timeline still usually accounts for about 3 weeks on the low end, to as high as 6 weeks or more on the other end of the spectrum.
The Costs of a Transfer Bench
On the other hand, while you may have an absolute need to improve accessibility in the bathroom, some workarounds will prevent you from entirely changing the layout. One such option is a sliding transfer bench, like one of the models in our ShowerGlyde series.
All of the transfer benches in our ShowerGlyde line are designed to accommodate the current layout and design of your bathroom, freeing you from the requirement of making time-consuming and cost-prohibitive refits.
There are three models, all of which feature durable, low-maintenance construction and simple ergonomics, with a sliding seat and a built-in grab bar, along with optional leg extensions that enable them to be used with tubs as high as 25”.
Among the three models there are options that are suitable for use in bathrooms of all sorts, even for those in which there is an obstacle, like a vanity or toilet, adjacent to the tub.
These transfer benches can improve accessibility, comfort, and safety in the bathroom, by making it easier for those with limited mobility to sit and slide into the shower rather than having to step over the lip of the tub. This reduces the risks associated with slipping and falling, and improves autonomy in the process.
Moreover a transfer bench as a workaround to a refit or remodel is effectively more affordable than the alternative, without any reasonable exception. Although the sticker price of the SG1, SG2, and SG3 transfer benches is $985, right now they are selling for considerably less, making them a fraction of the cost of a refit or remodel now matter how you look at it.
Solutions for a Wide Range of Needs
We recognize that for some a bathroom refit or remodel may be a more practical solution overall, but nonetheless, we offer other workarounds to remodels that will improve accessibility and safety in the bathroom, in addition to the three transfer benches mentioned here.
In addition to these, consider our Refine series of small shower benches, as well as our TubBuddy and ShowerBuddy transfer benches and roll-in shower chairs.
