Bathroom Suites | SuiteBathrooms.co.uk

When our elderly relatives enter residential care homes, such as Nursing Homes, special bathroom facilities are required.  This group of people, along with the disabled, are vulnerable to dangers such as tripping and slipping, or worse, scalding.  Hospitals provide specialist facilities in their bathroom areas such as winches and maintain a room temperature that is comfortable.  When the body is warm after a balmy bath it is an unpleasant shock to the body to step out into a cold room to rub yourself dry.  Any rapid change in body temperature can be detrimental to the frail and elderly, and indeed to very young babies.  In the home, it is best to keep the temperature at a comfortable level for those who take longer to bathe and are more likely to be susceptible to feeling cold, such as those people who are suffering from illness.

Radiators should be plumbed into the main heating system – it is very dangerous to take free standing electric heaters into the bathroom, or to have loose wires and cables around.  A qualified electrician can install an electric power point for a razor or toothbrush.  Some radiators, which may be hot, start at skirting board level and could be accidently touched by bare skin, so it is advisable to cover them.  Heated towel rails should be carefully positioned to avoid the skin brushing them accidently.  Radiator covers can be made by boxing in around the sides and covering the front with a mesh or grid that will enable the warm air to circulate easily.  Some people place an item of sturdy furniture like a bedding box in front of the heater to keep a distance between the user and the heat source.  This works well if there is a toddler in the house, but there has to be adequate space.

Manufacturers of bathroom gadgets are aware of the hazards connected with bathrooms.  Grab rails on either side of the bath are easily fitted and a simple slip-resistant rubber mat with suckers on the back secure it to the bottom of the bath to prevent sliding and slipping.

In the modern bathroom practical objects such as radiators can be made into a decorative feature.  A number of radiator companies now make unusually shaped and coloured varieties and these, as well as having a useful function, can be the focal point of the room.  The ladder radiator for instance, is also space-saving, as its narrow frame can be fixed high on the wall where it not only heats the room but dries wet towels.

Splashbacks behind hand-basins and baths can also be made from materials other than the more conventional perspex or ceramic tile.  Sheets of fine steel can be cut into imaginative shapes and polished to produce smooth edges.  The steel can be lacquered or varnished to prevent rust forming in damp and steamy bathroom conditions.

Contemporary bathrooms are often comprised of metals such as steel and chrome, as well as reinforced glass fittings.  These reflective and transparent surfaces can be used to create a spacious feel and the design of many of the fittings is minimal, adding to the uncluttered look.

Bathrooms can look like business places with items such as clinical trolleys, magnifying mirrors on expanding zigzag wall brackets, industrial chrome wastebins and single-support mirror and shelf units.  However, under a low-voltage bulb the modern bathroom can still have a relaxing charm.  Creating a contemporary-style bathroom can be accomplished on a tight budget by mimicking the designer look.  For instance, plain standard units, or white or wood cupboards  from stores such as Ikea, Habitat, Tesco and Homebase can be transformed with the addition of modern chrome or steel handles.  It is simple and easy to remove an embellished, decorative frame off a mirror, then fix the mirror to the wall with capped screws.  This creates a minimal, chic appearance.