When you imagine home adaptations to improve accessibility, you’re probably imagining ramps and chairlifts. And while these are practical solutions for many access issues, home adaptations can be so much more than this.

At the John Ford Group, we’re all about sleek design alongside fantastic functionality at an affordable price. Over the years, we’ve helped to make hundreds of homes both user-friendly and stylishly designed. 

In this blog, we want to discuss the 5 best home adaptations that you probably never realised that you needed until now.

John Ford Group Adaptation Centre

1. Level Access Showers

A level access shower is a shower without any trays or steps and is made completely level with your bathroom floor. It’s safe and practical, and the design provides a dignified solution for anyone with limited mobility, such as the elderly, wheelchair users, or anyone else with a limited range of movement.

A level access shower has floor-to-ceiling waterproof tiles or wallboard. It provides fast, effective drainage, and being all on one level removes any potential trip hazards allowing complete user independence. It also provides ample space for assisted washing if required.

A level access shower provides 

  • Greater independence
  • More space for assistance
  • Fast and safe drainage
  • Minimal disruption
  • Non-slip floors

You can read all about level access showers and how they are designed and fitted in our informative blog here.

2. Raised Garden Beds

Gardening is well known to improve mental health and wellness. But gardening can quickly become a struggle and is very challenging because it requires plenty of physical strength and mobility.

The easiest way to alleviate this and provide a safe gardening space is with raised flower beds. They alleviate many difficulties and provide easier access.

A raised bed isn’t just easier on your body; it’s incredibly beneficial for your garden. No tiling is much better for your soil, and the raised beds look great too.

A raised bed also keeps those pesky critters out and provides better drainage. 

You can read about raised flower beds in a previous blog here.

3. Accessible Kitchen Storage

Accessing cupboards, especially wall units, can be impossible from a seated position. 

But there are some super simple things that you can do in your kitchen to make your storage easily accessible. 

Pull-down baskets are fitted inside existing wall units and are great for this. They can be lowered down either electronically or with a pull-down system, making access much easier. 

New and existing wall units can also be lowered to a more suitable height so that reaching them isn’t so much of a struggle.

Base units, although lower are also difficult to access from a seated position. Using a carousel makes it much easier to do. They look really stylish and they provide a vast amount of additional storage too. 

These base units can be pulled out completely so you have full access to the entire contents of the cupboards, making your kitchen maintenance a total breeze!

We’ve written a great blog all about kitchen adaptation here.

4. Angled Mirrors

Angled mirrors are the perfect adaptation for wheelchair users and anyone who might need to remain seated when they’re in the bathroom getting ready. 

Their ability to angle downwards makes it easy for anyone in a seated position to see their reflection. An angled mirror comes in a wide range of beautiful designs and can also include vanity-style lights all around the edge. 

The pivoting mirror is a very popular choice because of its practicality, especially for a household with many people using the same mirror because it can be moved to different heights and angles.

Wall-Hung Basin (3)

5. Integrated Sinks

With sinks, it all comes down to practical accessibility. 

So many people with mobility problems struggle with conventional sinks, so it’s really important to find the best one to suit your lifestyle. Having the right sink will alleviate any access issues both in the bathroom and the kitchen.

For the bathroom, you can swap a pedestal basin or vanity unit for a sturdy wall-hung basin. The wall-hung design should give you plenty of clearance to remain in a seated position or, to fit a wheelchair underneath. This will allow the user to get as close as needed to use the sink comfortably.

For the kitchen, you can invest in a rise and fall sink base that provides easy use for all users. All sinks can be made shallower, allowing users to get as close as needed. Specially designed taps can also be provided making it even easier to use the sink. 

Want To Find Out More?

If you think that one of these adaptations could improve your home, then the next thing that you should do is get in touch with one of the team today. 

We will be able to discuss with you your needs and advise the best kind of adaptations to suit your lifestyle, giving you or your loved one independence at home.

Give us a call today at 01245 267333 or email us at info@johnfordgroup.co.uk to find out what surprising adaptations we can provide for your home.