Aging & Society: Eighth Interdisciplinary Conference

Abstract

There is increasing demand for housing that facilitates elderly people with high-care needs to live independently. Assistance with showering is the most common personal care requirement and the experience of showering has a high impact on Quality of Life (QoL). This paper explores the requirements for bathroom design to improve the QoL for the elderly who require assistance. Using semi-structured interviews and direct observation of twenty-six elderly people and their caregivers, data were collected on physical environments, perceptions, and use of space from the users of retirement villages as well as public and private-sector rental housing for the elderly in New Zealand. The research finds that many showering spaces were too small to comfortably accommodate assistance. In addition, many spaces lacked the means to protect privacy in a safe manner for the occupant and the caregiver. Common spatial requirements lacking included level shower entrances, sufficiency for assisted drying as well as assisted showering, and measures to limit the spread of water over the floor to increase caregiver safety. In the design of a bathroom for those requiring assistance, there is greater need for either additional space or more adaptable space to accommodate caregivers and maintain the elderly residents’ dignity, independence, privacy, and other aspects important for their QoL.