bathrooms

Affordable housing providers can face a difficult task when it comes to procurement. Regulatory and financial restraints mean that most are more mindful of budgets than ever before. Meanwhile, shifting consumer behaviour, not to mention smaller homes, mean that providers are working harder to plan a practical, affordable and design-led bathroom space. Here, Daniel Fairfield, Product Manager, from Twyford Bathrooms offers some advice.

In our last piece, we looked at how the rise in multi-generational living will impact bathroom specification. Here, Martyn Brown, Contracts and Technical Manager at Triton Showers, takes a look at the options available to those tasked with delivering inclusive showering.

Anyone who specifies for housing associations will know there are a range of factors that impact product choice. While tight budgets will always play a role (an issue we will touch on later in the piece), first and foremost homes need to be fit-for-purpose.

Given the increasing number of generations that are living under one roof (expected to account for 5.4 million households by 2040 ), this is particularly pertinent. When it comes to bathroom design, inclusive showering is a critical component of social housing.

A rise in multi-generational living, alongside an aging population, means that bathroom safety has come into sharp focus in recent years. Martyn Brown, Contracts and Technical Manager at Triton Showers, outlines Triton’s PASA Test, and the important role it plays in shower specification.

There are currently 1.8 million UK households with several generations living under the same roof, a figure which is expected to triple by 2040 . At the same time, there are 11.8 million people aged over 65, set to become 14.3 million by 2025 . These shifts in demographics coincide with a rise in demand for social housing, presenting a significant challenge to those tasked with delivering fit-for-purpose homes.

According to the Alzheimer’s Society, the number of people with dementia is steadily increasing and careful planning is required to manage their care and support. One in every 14 people aged over 65, and one in six aged over 80 struggles with the condition. Here, Stuart Reynolds, Head of Product and Marketing at AKW, a leading provider of accessible home solutions, discusses the launch of a new guide that will help housing associations create more dementia-friendly bathrooms.

EffectAble Construction Services are one of the largest independent specialist disability adaptation companies in the UK. During these turbulent and unprecedented times, EffectAble have worked tirelessly along with independent living solutions supplier, N&C Phlexicare to ensure comprehensive stock levels were achieved for unhindered installation of the bathroom adaptations in homes.  

AKW shows that it is possible to build cost-effective inclusivity into a bathroom’s design, so it is fit for purpose, no matter what the tenants needs. How is this possible? By using AKW’s latest cost-effective ‘Bathroom for Life’ solution.

The rise in multi-generational living has necessitated a shift in how products are specified. Grandparents will often be living under the same roof as small children, and their needs, particularly from a usability and safety perspective, will differ drastically. This becomes especially pertinent when it comes to the bathroom, one of the most heavily used rooms in the home.

To take a closer look at some of the key issues associated with bathroom safety, Triton Showers teamed up with Housing Association Magazine to host a roundtable on the subject. Victoria Galligan, Editor at Housing Association, reports.