Advice needed re possible extension to house

I don't have that experience but I would advise you to talk to your family and any friends who have done it.

We had one built on the side of our house for a shower/loo, it’s great for guests visiting and last year when my husband had major surgery it was invaluable as it saved him going upstairs all the time.
When my mother was alive she often fell and ended up in hospital and we lost count of the number of times they said if she’d had a downstairs loo/shower she could have been discharged earlier.
When she passed away we future proofed our house after lessons learnt from her experiences.

If the cost isn’t prohibitive I’d suggest a wet room, but if not a walk in shower with no tray, because even the smallest step is impossible with a bad leg/ankle. I speak from experience. No shower for three months! The other thing to consider is insulation if it’s an add on to your house. A friend had a bathroom extension and it’s absolutely freezing in the winter.

Yes, I think it is a good idea, I have done the same. If necessary I can live downstairs have added a shower room and extra living room so could have a bedroom. Self contained ground floor living. I work as a community nurse and have often seen people struggling with accomodation not suitable for needs. There is always the option of a stair lift to access upstairs easier. A downstairs loo would help you a lot. Best of luck.

Thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time to reply.
Great ideas.
I have spoken to my family and they have been very supportive in discussing many of the above issues with me.

Tusue

We had one built on the side of our house for a shower/loo, it’s great for guests visiting and last year when my husband had major surgery it was invaluable as it saved him going upstairs all the time.
When my mother was alive she often fell and ended up in hospital and we lost count of the number of times they said if she’d had a downstairs loo/shower she could have been discharged earlier.
When she passed away we future proofed our house after lessons learnt from her experiences.

Tusue, this is so helpful. Thank you 👍

I'm another who would probably choose a stairlift instead.

My mother-in-law had everything in a greay position to make a downstairs bathroom attached to her downstairs cloakroom by using part of her (large) garage... she decided it would be nicer to sleep upstairs than to live in half a house.

I have thought a lot about this and even a top-of-the-range stairlift with three turns (like hers) is almost certainly a lot cheaper.

Jenthehen

Yes, I think it is a good idea, I have done the same. If necessary I can live downstairs have added a shower room and extra living room so could have a bedroom. Self contained ground floor living. I work as a community nurse and have often seen people struggling with accomodation not suitable for needs. There is always the option of a stair lift to access upstairs easier. A downstairs loo would help you a lot. Best of luck.

Jenthehen,
I have had quite a number of relatives and friends who recently, have not been able to return to their homes because the homes were inaccessible to their needs and it is this experience which has probably prompted me to do it.
Thank you

I have a level access shower - no door; just a glass screen along one side. If I were building from scratch I would include a drop down seat.
I do have a freestanding seat in there now which has arms and just a word of warning - if you get one of these do not lean on just one arm! - it tips over!
My concern at your age would be the loan, but if it is agreed and you feel confident about affording the repayments, then your plan makes total sense.

My mother-in-law's walk-in shower was large enough to get a shower chair in (like a wheelchair).

She had this walk-in shower using up the whole space of the bath which she had taken out.

Apparently not all walk-in are big enough for a whefled shower chair... and some are very slippy and/or have a trip-over lip!

We did exactly this about five years ago when I was 70. I needed a knee replacement and although I could still manage up and down the stairs, we thought it wise to bite the bullet and extend our dining room to include a downstairs shower room. The extension includes a nice wee seating area overlooking the garden. In the event of us becoming infirm, our dining room will become our bedroom. It is comforting to know that we can remain in our family home for as long as is physically possible.

I meant to say, a higher toilet is a "must".

Thank you for the very informative posts 👍