When designing a family bathroom, it is important to consider factors such as accessibility, especially if there are elderly people there who may need to walk in shower trays. Because, whether it be now or in the future, there will at some point be people at your home with special mobility requirements. Taking this into consideration when planning out this space can extend its use and prevent the need for more renovation work further down the line.

At Cosentino, we have all the solutions you need when it comes to bathroom design. In this article we show you our walk in shower trays for the elderly, so that you can choose the one that best suits your style. We also offer advice on other items that you can install to guarantee the comfort and safety of elderly people in the bathroom.

Bathroom designs for the elderly

There are plenty of things to consider if you want to make a bathroom more accessible. If there are elderly people living at home, you will need to think about changing the bath for a shower, installing a higher toilet, and adding a safety handrail into the bathroom. We can also adapt the basin and install a pivot mirror so that individuals are able to clean themselves and freshen up while seated. The aim of these modifications is to provide people with as much independence as possible while also, if necessary, providing enough space for carers to help individuals when using the toilet or bathing.

The choice of shower tray and flooring is especially important when creating an accessible bathroom for the elderly. At Cosentino, we have technical experts who can advise you on the right surface choice for your project to ensure that you have a safe, functional and modern bathroom. 

That’s why we recommend our Silestone and Dekton surfaces, which can be used for the flooring, wall cladding, worktops, and shower trays. Both surfaces offer unique technical and aesthetic properties that make them ideal to be used in bathrooms:

• Their low porosity means that they are resistant to limescale and dampness stains.
• High scratch resistance.
• High shock resistance.
• Large format, minimising the number of joints.
• There are over one hundred colours and designs to choose from.
• Easy to look after, they just need regular cleaning with any neutral soap.

Showers for the elderly

At Cosentino, we recommend installing walk-in shower trays for the elderely, such as Dekton Gocce, which comes with the Grip+ finish to offer maximum non-slip protection. This shower tray has the required slope for water to run away at just 20 mm, making it perfect for walk-in showers.

When it comes to bathroom flooring, we also recommend Dekton Grip+ for large format panels. With large 3200 x 1440 mm panels, the same seamless effect is created, as there are minimal joints.

The Dekton Grip+ shower trays and bathroom floors help to prevent falls and accidents, with a surface texture that is very pleasant to touch.

We also commonly recommend installing a fixed or adjustable bathroom seat to make it easier for elderly people to wash themselves. Rails and handles can also be installed in the shower.

To complete our bathroom design, in addition to installing shower trays for the elderly, we can also put in a thermostatic shower to prevent any sudden extreme changes in temperature.

We also need to remember the importance of the shower screen, which also needs to be a walk-in style to ensure that there are no obstacles like edges or doors. This will help to prevent falls and make it easier for carers to do their job.