The Villager Newspaper Online Your Community News – Cleveland's Westshore
The term “aging in place” has been getting a lot of news coverage lately, and for good reason. With an aging population, the ever-growing number of Northeast Ohioans that will need housing options are getting squeezed. The number of residents that will need to transition to assisted living will far outpace the number of units currently available according to statistical data gathered by the most recent census. On top of the limited number of rooms, you have a spike in the cost of that housing due to general inflation and demand. This is causing an increase in “aging in place” products and services.
One of the biggest concerns for both seniors and their caretakers is bathroom safety. Research shows that the overwhelming majority of falls happen in the bathroom. “There are two big reasons for falls in the bathroom setting,” states Andrew Gorski from Miracle Method. “A lack of grab bars and getting in and out of the bathtub seem to be the most common culprit,” Gorski explains. Miracle Method has been offering customers “age in place” products for the last 16 years.
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- Easy Step Before
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- Easy Step After
According to Gorski, cost is a big reason why people don’t update their bathroom to include a new walk-in shower and grab bars. For a complete remodel that includes tearing out the old bathtub and replacing it with a better option, customers can expect to pay a king’s ransom. Big, jetted, walk-in bathtubs can cost tens of thousands of dollars to be installed. Walk-in shower installations are not much less. When you factor in the downtime and construction hassle, many seniors simply give up and deal with climbing over their bathtub.
Miracle Method has a much better option. The Easy Step tub to shower conversion is a one-day bathtub to shower kit that uses your existing bathtub. Miracle Method can cut an opening into the existing bathtub and install a prefabricated unit that allows an opening in the tub. “Customers are looking for affordable safety options,” states Gorski. With the Easy Step, overall height of the bathtub goes from about 16” to 5” depending on the bathtub. “This product gets installed in a day or less and can save residents thousands” says Gorski. When you add grab bars and a slip resistant surface to the bottom of the bathtub, your chances of falling are drastically reduced. Gorski also explained that the product is completely reversable. At some point people sell the home. As long as they keep what Miracle Method cuts out, they can return the unit to its original bathtub for the new homeowner.
For more information on the Easy Step and all of Miracle Methods aging in place options, or for a free home safety inspection, contact Miracle Method Surface Refinishing of Cleveland today at (440) 201-4248. You can also stop out their beautiful showroom in North Olmsted, Ohio or go to www.miraclemethod.com/walk-in-tub.
