All advice / Design and finishes
What aging in place means for a bathroom
Aging in place means staying in your own home as you get older, rather than moving to assisted living or a retirement community. The bathroom is the room most likely to need changes, because it involves wet surfaces, stepping over thresholds, reaching overhead and standing on one leg.
The smartest time to plan for these changes is during a renovation. Adding structural blocking for grab rails costs almost nothing when the walls are open. Retrofitting them into a finished bathroom costs significantly more and may not be possible without damage.
Curbless showers
A curbless (or zero-threshold) shower has no step or hob at the entry. The floor is graded to a drain, and water is contained by the fall of the floor rather than a raised edge. This is safer for anyone with limited mobility, balance concerns or a wheelchair.
Curbless showers are also easier to clean, look more open and suit the walk-in shower trend. Our wet room guide covers the design and waterproofing details for this style of shower.
The floor gradient must be precise — steep enough to drain water but gentle enough to stand on comfortably. A linear drain along one wall is the most common solution in a curbless shower.
Grab rail blocking
Grab rails need a solid mounting point — timber blocking behind the wall lining, fixed between the studs. If the blocking is not there when the wall is built, the grab rail cannot be safely installed later without opening the wall.
During a renovation, the builder installs timber blocking at standard grab rail heights (800 to 900 millimetres for a horizontal rail beside the toilet, 900 to 1,200 millimetres for a vertical rail in the shower). The blocking is hidden behind the tiles. The rails can be added at any time in the future without disturbing the wall.
This is the single most cost-effective aging-in-place feature. It costs less than $100 in materials and five minutes of labour when the walls are open. Retrofitting it later can cost $500 to $1,000 or more.
Wider doorways
A standard bathroom door is 720 millimetres wide. A wheelchair needs at least 820 millimetres. If the wall is being moved or the door frame replaced during the renovation, widening the doorway to 820 or 870 millimetres is a small extra cost.
A wider door also makes the room easier to use with a walking frame, crutches or when carrying a child. It is not only about wheelchairs — it is about making the room work for more situations.
Non-slip flooring
Slip-and-fall injuries in the bathroom are a leading cause of hospital admissions for older Australians. The floor tile must be slip-resistant when wet — rated R10 or higher under AS 4586.
Matt and textured porcelain tiles provide good grip without looking clinical. Polished tiles are not suitable for a bathroom floor at any age, but they are especially dangerous for anyone with reduced balance or reaction time.
Our flooring guide covers slip ratings and material options in detail.
Comfort height toilet and lever taps
A comfort-height toilet (also called a raised-height or accessible-height toilet) sits 60 to 80 millimetres higher than a standard model. It is easier to sit down on and stand up from, and it reduces the strain on knees and hips.
Lever taps are easier to operate than knob taps for anyone with reduced grip strength — arthritis, for example. They are also the standard in most modern tapware ranges, so they do not look institutional.
How ETR designs for the future
We install grab rail blocking as standard in every renovation we do. It costs almost nothing during the build and makes a significant difference if rails are needed later. Curbless showers, wider doors and comfort-height toilets are discussed at the design phase.
Our accessible bathroom guide covers the full range of accessibility features. A free on-site measure anywhere in Sydney is the starting point.
Frequently asked questions
Is aging-in-place design only for older people?
No. Universal design works for everyone — families with young children, anyone recovering from an injury, and people who want a bathroom that works long-term without future renovations. A curbless shower and lever taps are good design for any age.
How much extra does aging-in-place design cost?
Very little when done during a renovation. Grab rail blocking is under $100 in materials. A curbless shower costs about the same as a hob shower. A wider door frame is a modest extra if the wall is already being framed. The biggest cost savings come from doing it now rather than retrofitting later.
Can I get funding for aging-in-place modifications?
In Australia, home modifications may be covered through the Commonwealth Home Support Programme, a Home Care Package, or the NDIS, depending on your eligibility and care needs. Your GP or an occupational therapist can refer you for an assessment.
What is the difference between accessible and aging-in-place design?
Accessible design addresses current needs — someone who uses a wheelchair or has a disability now. Aging-in-place design plans for future needs — structural preparation (like grab rail blocking) that makes the bathroom easy to adapt later without a second renovation.
Should I install grab rails now or just the blocking?
If you need them now, install them now. If you are planning ahead, the blocking is enough. Modern grab rails come in styles that match contemporary tapware — chrome, matt black, brushed nickel — so they do not look clinical when the time comes.