| Shower control and diverters near entrance |
To minimize getting wet while turning on or adjusting temperature of the shower, especially for a caregiver, and to make it easier for someone in a wheelchair or using a walker, along with selecting which water feature(s) one would want on |
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| All sinks have lever faucets |
Easier for a person who may have limited hand control (e.g., essential tremors or Parkinson’s disease) to turn the water on and off and control the temperature. They are also more sanitary as the dirty part of the hand will push up the lever and the clean part of the hand will push it down |
Brizo |
| All sinks are undermounted |
To make it easy to clean debris on countertops into the sink |
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| Primary bathroom have sinks that are less deep that standard sinks |
To allow someone who is in a wheelchair or seated to easily be under the sink |
TOTO Toilets |
| Bath vent fans, either turned on when there is an elevated level of moisture, or by motion, and turned off when the moisture sensed is below a predetermined humidity level or by time by utilizing Swidget occupancy and humidity sensors |
To minimize damage that moisture can cause, or to remove various odors from the areas |
Panasonic HVAC |
| All bath and toilet areas have ultra-quiet vent fans |
To have adequate air exchanges and to minimize ambient noise in the bathrooms |
Panasonic HVAC |
| All bath and toilet areas have a vent fan controlled by occupancy sensor |
Fan automatically turns on when someone enters the room and then turns off after a predetermined time after they leave the room to reduce the possibility of mold or mildew |
Panasonic HVAC |
| Primary bath vent fan located immediately outside steam shower |
To capture as much water vapor as possible when the shower door is open |
Panasonic HVAC |
| Primary bath vent fan with motion-sensing switch and controlled by humidity sensor |
To sense when the vent fan should turn on and off |
Swidget |
| Bidet seat |
Bidet seats use substantially less toilet paper, are more comfortable for someone who has challenges with hemorrhoids, lesions, etc., people who have difficulty doing appropriate toileting hygiene, and these have shown a lower incident rate of urinary tract infections |
TOTO Toilets |
| Bidet seat remote control |
To control all functions (water temperature, seat temperature, air drying temperature, position, oscillation, pulsation, and water pressure) using a remote control, and these can be programmed how two people prefer to use the bidet |
TOTO Toilets |
| Blocking |
Blocking installed prior to drywalling to allow placement of grab bars, combination grab / towel bars, toilet paper holders, and other key equipment solidly into the walls |
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| Dimmers and motion-sensing switches for lights |
To better control light illumination in the bathrooms |
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| Grab bar and towel rail combination |
Grab bar is on the top with the towel rail underneath, which helps prevent towels being grasped in a fall |
Seachrome |
| Grab bars inside and outside showers |
To help minimize slips and falls in shower and bathing areas |
Seachrome |
| L-shaped grab bars to the side of the toilet, grab bar behind the toilet and toilet paper holders |
To assist someone who is transferring from and to a wheelchair or walker, or someone who needs a bit of assistance in getting off of the toilet and to have enough strength to withstand 250 pounds of pull force in any direction |
Seachrome |
| Tile Flooring |
Tile flooring carefully selected to have a dynamic coefficient of friction (DCOF) ≥ 0.6, to help prevent slips and falls, comparable with ADA requirements |
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| Tile Grout |
Grout that will not efflorescence and does not require periodic sealing |
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| Horizontal Alignment Tiles (also known as Listello Stripes) |
As some people may not see very well in the shower or may have a vestibular event in there after picking something up and arising quickly, all shower areas have a tile stripe (the steam shower has two – 0ne for standing, the other for sitting) that is about 6 inches high with a light reflectance value difference of at least 20 points |
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| Luxury vinyl planking |
Planks have a dynamic coefficient of friction (DCOF) ≥ 0.6, to help prevent slips and falls, comparable with ADA requirements |
Evoke |
| Luxury vinyl planking |
Planks have a very low thermal coefficient of heat conduction, thus making them less likely to cause a person with peripheral neuropathy from having an adverse sensation with their feet on cool floors |
Evoke |
| Occupancy sensing light switches |
To automatically turn on lights when entering some of the bathrooms |
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| Primary bath lower vanity has slide-in pocket doors and removable toe-kick |
When the cabinet doors open, they can be slid back and the cabinet bottom and toekick can be removed to allow for a wheelchair or a sitting chair to be positioned under the sink. |
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| Primary bathroom have undercounter sinks with drain at the rear |
This positions the drains as far back as possible to make it easy to sit under the sink area |
TOTO Toilets |
| Primary bath sinks have P-traps drains that can be located parallel to the wall when needed |
This gives more space for the wheelchair to move under the sink |
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| Primary shower has have no threshold |
There is no threshold to trip or fall over with a curbless shower |
QuickDrain |
| Primary bath curbless shower and linear drain |
A linear drain slopes only in one direction, versus a center drain which slopes in multiple directions, making it easier for a roll-in wheelchair to get out of the shower |
QuickDrain |
| Primary bath has a see-through fireplace with circulating fan |
Fireplace is included not only for ambiance but also to help heat up the bathroom area for someone who has a difficult time with body temperature modulation |
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| Primary bath has extensive drawer and cabinet organization equipment |
To better organize and find bathroom items |
Rev-A-Shelf |
| Primary bath has multiple water features, some under smart control |
There is a rain head, water jet sprayers and a detachable shower wand that are all controlled via individual water diverters and a pressure compensating water valve. The steam shower can be controlled via an app or by smart speaker. |
Brizo |
| Primary bath heated shower floor, sitting bench and back rest |
To make the floor and bench have a luxury feel, but also to minimize unusual sensations when walking or sitting on cool surfaces, especially for someone who may have peripheral neuropathy |
SunTouch |
| Primary bath oversized shower – 72 inches (~18 meters) wide and 48 inches (~1.2 meter long) |
This size makes it easy for a roll-in shower wheelchair to easily turn around |
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| Primary bath shower bench 18 inches (~46 cm) high and 48 inches (~1.2 meters) wide |
This is about the same height as the roll-in wheelchair, making it easy to transfer onto the bench |
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| Primary bath shower door 28 inches (~70 cm) wide |
Most roll-in shower wheelchairs are ≤24 inches (~60 cm) wide. Door opening of this size will make it easy for someone to roll in to the shower |
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| Primary bath shower glass doors are coated with Diamon Fusion |
Coating makes the surfaces easier to clean but provides protection from spotting. |
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| Built-in bathtub |
Stand-alone soaker tubs are more challenging to get in and out (they have a small top rim) and are difficult to clean underneath it. The Primary bathroom has a built-in tub with a wide top deck to make it easier to get in and out. See Wall Street Journal article. |
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| Primary bath soaking tub has warming pads affixed to the sides of the bathtub |
To keep the bathtub water at a desired temperature while bathing |
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| Primary bath steam shower |
To help minimize dry skin in the Colorado climate, but also to help with nasal issues |
Brizo |
| Primary bath steam shower aromatherapy |
To help clear sinus passages |
Brizo |
| Primary bath steam shower with elevated pivoting glass vent panel |
To allow the steam shower to dry, there is a glass awning panel that pivots to allow moisture to easily escape |
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| Primary bath vanities are set at different heights |
To address the different heights of people using the primary bath vanities, and to allow someone who is in a wheelchair or on a seat to easily go under the shorter vanity |
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| Medicine Cabinets |
Storage of goods behind mirror, along with electricity and USB outlets |
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| Primary toilet are wall-mounted |
Without an exposed tank, this opens up more space in the bathroom for a wheelchair to turn in the room, and makes it easier to clean under and behind the toilet |
TOTO Toilets |
| Primary toilet are wall mounted |
By being suspended off of the floor, the area under the toilet is easily cleaned, making it more sanitary |
TOTO Toilets |
| Primary toilet room is larger than a normal toilet room |
Allows for >60 inch (1.5 meters) turning diameter for a wheelchair |
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| Remote flush capability |
The toilet can be flushed via the bidet seat remote |
TOTO Toilets |
| Storage area inside Primary Toilet Room |
Easy access from inside the primary bath toilet room to get access to toilet paper, towels, etc. |
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| Strong toilet paper holder |
Toilet paper holder is capable of 250 pounds of force |
Seachrome |
| Open-sided toilet paper holder |
Many toilet paper holders have a spring-loaded tube that is placed into the sides of the holder. These can be difficult for people who have hand dexterity challenges or only the use of one hand. Instead, the Idea Home uses holders that are open-ended that the paper roll goes onto the holder opposite from where the user is seated. |
Seachrome |
| All toilets are elongated style |
Elongate toilets give more space for sitting on the toilet, and offer more room when a bidet seat is installed. |
TOTO Toilets |
| All toilets with seat set at 18 inches (~46 centimeters) |
Easy transfer from a wheelchair to the toilet, and is easier for everyone else to get off of the toilet |
TOTO Toilets |
