Grab bars
By the toilet, at the shower entry and beside the tub, anchored to framing or rated anchors.
Learn moreAging in place · Bathrooms
Senior bathroom remodels and accessible bathroom modifications
Quick answer
The bathroom is where most families start with aging in place. An accessible bathroom can be a few targeted modifications, such as grab bars, a shower seat with a handheld shower and a taller toilet, or a full senior bathroom remodel with a curbless shower, a roll-under sink and a wider door. HandyMangum plans the whole room with you, installs following ADA guidelines and fits everything to the person who will use it. Any plumbing line or wiring work is done by licensed professionals. Call or text (407) 699-1123 for a free estimate.
Bathroom modifications we do
Each of these has its own page with what the job involves, the options and the questions people ask most. Most bathrooms need only a few of them.
Tub-to-shower conversion
A low-step walk-in shower in place of a tub you have to climb over.
Learn moreCurbless (roll-in) showers
Zero-entry showers for walkers, shower chairs and wheelchairs.
Learn moreShower seats and benches
Fold-down seats and built-in benches so showering can happen sitting down.
Learn moreHandheld showers
A shower head on a slide bar that you can hold or set at any height.
Learn moreComfort-height toilets
A taller toilet, about chair height; the swap is done by a licensed plumber.
Learn moreRaised seats and safety frames
Extra height and arms on the toilet you already have.
Learn moreBidet seats
Washing seats that help people stay independent in the bathroom.
Learn moreAccessible vanities and sinks
Roll-under sinks, lower counters and mirrors you can use sitting down.
Learn moreAnti-slip floors
Slip-resistant tile, treatments for slick floors and flat transitions.
Learn moreDoor widening
A wider bathroom doorway for a walker or wheelchair.
Learn moreOffset hinges
About two extra inches of doorway without moving the wall.
Learn moreLighting and night lights
A lit path from the bed to the toilet and brighter light at the sink.
Learn moreA whole-bathroom plan, step by step
We walk the bathroom the way the person uses it, from the hallway to the shower, and write down what would help at each stop. You choose what to do now and what can wait.
Getting in
Is the doorway wide enough for a walker or wheelchair? Offset hinges add about two inches; door widening adds more. A lever handle and a door that swings out of the way help too.
The path at night
A motion night light from the bed to the toilet and a switch that can be found in the dark.
The toilet
Seat height first: a raised seat or a comfort-height toilet. Then a grab bar beside it, and a bidet seat if reaching is hard.
The sink
A sink that can be used sitting down, a lever faucet, a mirror at the right height and storage in easy reach.
The shower or tub
If stepping over the tub wall is hard, a tub-to-shower conversion or a curbless shower. Inside: a seat, a handheld shower on a slide bar and a grab bar at the entry.
The floor
Slip-resistant tile or an anti-slip treatment, no loose rugs and flat transitions at the door.
Modify the bathroom or remodel it?
Many bathrooms only need modifications: a few changes that take a day or two and leave the rest of the room alone. A senior bathroom remodel makes sense when the tub has to go, the doorway is too narrow, or the room is due for updating anyway. Then a curbless shower, a roll-under sink and blocking for future grab bars can be built in from the start.
For full remodels, see our bathroom remodeling page. If any part of the job needs a permit or a state-licensed trade, such as new plumbing lines or new wiring, we tell you during the quote and that part is handled by properly licensed professionals.
Just need grab bars?
For a grab-bar-only job, you can also book directly with Grab Bar Heroes, a HandyMangum company that does nothing but grab bars. When grab bars are part of a bigger bathroom update, HandyMangum handles the whole list in one visit.
Bathroom modification questions
What is a senior bathroom remodel?
A bathroom remodel planned around safety and ease of use as you age: usually a walk-in or curbless shower with a seat and a handheld shower, a taller toilet, grab bars or blocking for them, a sink that can be used sitting down, a wider door and slip-resistant floors.
What are the most important aging in place bathroom modifications?
For most people: grab bars by the toilet and at the shower entry, a shower seat with a handheld shower, a toilet at a comfortable height, a slip-resistant floor and a night light on the path from the bed. If stepping over the tub is hard, a tub-to-shower conversion.
Do I need a full remodel to make a bathroom accessible?
Often not. Many bathrooms become much safer with a few modifications done in a day or two. A remodel makes sense when the tub has to go or the doorway is too narrow.
Do you follow ADA guidelines in bathrooms?
Yes. We use ADA guidelines for heights and clearances as the starting point, then adjust to the person, since the ADA Standards are written for public places rather than private homes.
Who does the plumbing?
New or moved plumbing lines, toilet swaps and new faucets are done by a licensed plumber. We plan and coordinate it as part of the job and handle the rest.
Does Medicare or insurance pay for this?
We cannot promise that any plan will pay, so please check before the work starts. Original Medicare generally does not pay for grab bars, bath seats, raised toilet seats or home changes like these; CMS treats them as convenience items rather than durable medical equipment. Some Medicare Advantage plans, Medicaid waiver programs and veterans' programs do help with home modifications, so ask your plan directly. We give you a written, itemized quote and invoice you can share with them.
How do I get an estimate?
Estimates are free. Call or text (407) 699-1123, or send the online request with a few photos. We send a written quote before any work starts.
Make the bathroom safer, one change at a time
Call or text (407) 699-1123, or send the online request with a few photos. Estimates are free on every job.