ST ILLUSTRATION: MANNY FRANCISCO
Talk about good timing. Just a day after I decided to renovate and elder-proof my guest bathroom, a letter arrived saying my household qualified for a government scheme subsidising senior-friendly fittings.
When I renovated my house in 2019, I ran out of funds before I got to the small ground-floor bathroom. It was serviceable, if dated, so I left it as it was.
But in recent years, leaks started appearing, one after another, each requiring a call to the plumber. When a valve in the cistern finally gave way, I decided it was time to stop patching and start afresh.
Under the Enhancement for Active Seniors (Ease) private programme, eligible households can receive up to $1,200 in vouchers to offset 75 per cent of the cost of seven senior-friendly fittings.
For the bathroom, the scheme covers grab bars, slip-resistant treatment for existing floors, a wall-mounted foldable shower seat and a bidet spray. Elsewhere in the home, it subsidises a handrail, a home fire alarm device and a single-step ramp.
As my mother, my husband and I grow older, there may come a day when stairs are no longer an option. We might have to move into a bedroom downstairs and rely on the very bathroom that I was going to renovate. If so, it would need to be designed to reduce the risk of falls.
The bathroom is widely considered the most dangerous room in the house, largely because of its wet, slippery surfaces.
Dr Natesan Selvaganapathi, a senior consultant in geriatric medicine at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, says seniors often struggle with narrow spaces and stepping over toilet kerbs, especially when using walking aids.
“Many also lose their balance when dressing, slip on wet or soapy floors or trip on loose rugs,” he says. Poor lighting and clutter increase these risks. A reluctance to seek help because the bathroom is a private space can make matters worse.
He adds that many elderly patients have nocturia, or frequent urination at night, which means repeated trips to the toilet in the dark. A bedside commode can make a real difference, he adds.
Falls are very bad news for seniors, and Dr Selva explains why it can set off both physical and psychological decline.
Physically, injuries may range from bruises to fractures – often worsened by osteoporosis – or even life-threatening brain injury.
But the psychological toll is just as significant and often underestimated, he says.
Many seniors develop a fear of falling after their first fall, and this leads them to move less. Reduced mobility causes further muscle wasting and weak limbs. This in turn increases the risk of falling again.
“It becomes a vicious cycle. A first fall is itself one of the strongest risk factors for a subsequent fall,” he says. “Often, we see that a fall marks a turning point. It makes the frail elderly person lose their independence.”
Outcomes of falls, therefore, depend on the severity of physical injury and the extent of fear-driven inactivity.
The good news is that the common causes of falls at home are largely preventable, says Dr Selva.
Simple changes – improving lighting, reducing clutter, removing loose rugs, installing non-slip flooring, adding grab bars and removing kerbs – can significantly lower the risk.
Ms Ma Chea Chee, a senior occupational therapist at TTSH, says stairs are another major challenge in the home. Low furniture such as the sofa and toilet seat also poses problems, as sitting down and standing up can require more strength than seniors realise they have.
Everyday tasks can become difficult and trigger accidents. Reaching for items stored too high or too low, turning stiff door handles or taps with arthritic hands, and moving through a cluttered home in poor lighting can all increase the risk.
“Over time, these difficulties can chip away confidence, causing seniors to limit movement within their own homes,” says Ms Ma.
Like Dr Selva, she emphasises how relatively simple modifications can make a real difference. Research has found that grab bars are effective, as are slip-resistant flooring or surface treatments. She adds that proper lighting and sturdy furniture, from which seniors can get up easily, are often overlooked.
But modifications work best as part of a broader plan, says Ms Ma. “A grab bar next to the toilet may help a senior stand up safely, but if the route from the bedroom to the bathroom is dark or cluttered, the overall fall risk remains.”
It is best to do a proper assessment of hazards in the house, taking into account daily routines and future needs.
Safety versus style?
I began my bathroom renovation with elder-proofing in mind. But aesthetics and cost were just as important. I wanted a beautiful space, not something that reminded me of a hospital, and I had to stay within budget.
One advantage I had was that my bathroom floor was already level with the adjoining living area, so there was no doorway kerb, a common tripping hazard.
The main challenge was space. At about 38 sq ft, wheelchair access and room for a caregiver were tight, and the existing layout did not help: the entrance door swung inward while the shower cubicle door opened out, both eating into the limited floor area.
The contractor suggested installing a sliding pocket entrance door to maximise space. This would also allow for a wider doorway to accommodate larger mobility aids. But it would require additional hacking and higher costs. Such a door would also be harder to repair if it malfunctioned. I decided against it.
Instead, I focused on improving safety within the existing constraints, starting with slip-resistant flooring.
Ms Wee Geck Ying, head of marketing at building material supplier Hafary Group, explains that “anti-slip” or “slip-resistant” refers to a surface’s ability to provide better grip, especially when wet.
A common measurement is R-ratings, from R9 to R13, where higher numbers mean better slip resistance. For example, R9-R10 materials are suitable for dry indoor spaces and light splash zones, R10-R11 are ideal for residential bathrooms, kitchens and other wet areas, and R12-R13 for commercial kitchens, pool decks or industrial settings.
If you are renovating a home to live in when you age, slip-resistant porcelain tiles with an R10 rating are a good choice for bathroom and kitchen floors, she says. “Smaller format tiles or mosaics in shower areas provide additional grip through more grout lines,” Ms Wee adds. Large-format porcelain slabs for walls minimise grout joints and are easier to clean.
In bedrooms and living and dining areas, matte-finish porcelain is often preferred over polished finishes, which can become slippery when wet.
“Across all spaces, consistency matters. Minimising level changes and abrupt material transitions helps reduce trip hazards and creates a more accessible environment,” she says.
For future planning, a barrier-free bathroom without kerbs is ideal. “It removes a common trip hazard, makes the space easier to use over time, and gives the bathroom a clean, seamless look,” says Ms Wee. Paired with slip-resistant flooring and proper drainage, it creates a bathroom that is safe, practical and able to adapt to changing needs, she says.
The balance between safety and style is increasingly shaping senior-friendly home design. The goal is to create spaces that are practical without feeling clinical or institutional, says a spokesperson for Perennial Holdings.
The integrated healthcare and real estate group is behind Perennial Living, Singapore’s first private assisted-living project in Parry Avenue in Kovan, and also owns and operates senior living, medical facilities and integrated healthcare developments in China.
Thinking ahead starts from outside the home, says the Perennial spokesperson. Maximising natural light can regulate sleep cycles and improve mood and energy levels. “This is especially critical for seniors who are less mobile and more likely to stay at home,” the spokesperson says.
Inside the house, sturdy, movable furniture will prove more useful than built-in carpentry in the long run as your needs change. You might need space to accommodate the turning radius of a wheelchair, for example, or replace a regular bed with a medical bed. Extra power points reduce the need for extension cords, which are trip hazards.
Using different colours for floors and walls helps those with poor vision or cognitive decline tell surfaces apart, judge depth and move around safely. Avoiding floor level changes or using gentle ramps instead of steps improves accessibility. Furniture with rounded edges reduces the risk of injury, while chairs with armrests and firm seating surfaces make it easier to sit and stand.
Technology is also playing a growing role in senior living, says the spokesperson. Fall-detection devices can alert others when accidents happen, while smart lighting and remote-controlled fans make everyday tasks easier as mobility declines.
As for my renovation project, I ended up making compromises.
Because the bathroom is seldom used for showering, aesthetics won the day.
I removed the existing shower door to create a more seamless look, leaving just a single shower glass pane. To improve depth perception, I chose a slightly darker tile for the shower area.
While some water may splash out during a shower, the rest of the bathroom floor is also slip-resistant. The old timber door was replaced with a waterproof aluminium-framed glass one.
In the end, I chose not to install safety grab bars and also didn’t tap the Enhancement for Active Seniors programme. The scheme requires specific brands and contractors. Some of the fittings didn’t match the look I had in mind, while others I had already planned for.
But it is a decision I may revisit.
While the bathroom works for me now, the day will come when function matters more than form. A well-placed grab bar in this bathroom will then be my best friend.
10 home renovation tips for safer ageing
1. Improve lighting throughout the home
Maximise natural light as it improves mood and sleep cycles. Ensure strong artificial lighting, especially in corridors, stairways and bathrooms, to help visibility.
2. Keep floors level and use safety ramps
Avoid kerbs and steps where possible. Use gently sloped ramps where level changes cannot be avoided to reduce the risk of trips.
3. Ensure wider, accessible doorways
Make doorways wide enough to accommodate mobility aids.
4. Use non-slip surfaces and clear pathways
Install slip-resistant flooring, especially in bathrooms and other wet areas. Keep walkways free of clutter and loose rugs that can cause tripping.
5. Install grab bars and improve stability points
Place grab bars and handrails in bathrooms and key transition areas to support balance and movement.
6. Easy-to-use fittings and furniture
Replace twist knobs with lever taps and handles, which are easier for those with reduced dexterity and grip strength. Furniture with rounded edges reduces injury risk, and chairs with armrests and firm seating make it easier to sit and stand.
7. Design kitchens for safer reach
Use pull-down shelving for high cabinets for easier access.
8. Plan for ground-floor living spaces
If the home has multiple levels, include a ground-floor bedroom and bathroom to future-proof against reduced mobility.
9. Improve visual contrast in key areas
Use strong colour contrast between surfaces, such as floor and wall, to help those with impaired vision distinguish surfaces better.
10. Build flexibility and integrate smart safety features
Opt for sturdy, movable furniture. Built-in carpentry looks sleek but is harder to reconfigure when needs change. Plan for extra power points so you don’t have to use extension cords, which are trip hazards. Consider switches and power sockets that are reachable from a seated position. Technology such as fall-detection devices, motion-sensor lighting and remote-controlled systems will make daily living safer and easier.
“Source:[Sumiko at 62: What a leaking bathroom taught me about elder-proofing my home] © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Permission required for reproduction”
