Helping Someone Bathe: How to Set Up the Bathroom So It Is Safer for Both of You

By Zach Wennstedt, owner of Aging Safely Baths. Updated October 2026.

Many of the calls we get are not from the person who will use the shower. They are from a daughter, a son or a spouse who has started helping with bathing and realized the bathroom was never built for two people. Bathing is one of the hardest and riskiest parts of caregiving, for the person being helped and for the caregiver's back. Here is how to set the room up so it works for both of you.

1. Choose the right bathing space

• A roll in or low-threshold shower is usually the easiest for assisted bathing. The person can sit on a seat or a rolling shower chair, and the caregiver can stand outside the wet area and help. See handicap and roll in showers.
• A transfer shower works if the person can slide from a wheelchair to a seat with light help. It is compact, but there is less room for a caregiver. Compare roll in vs. transfer vs. curbless.
• A walk in tub can work for someone who loves to soak and can sit and stand with help. An outward swinging door and a heated seat help. For heavier lifting, ask about lift-assisted models like the Ella HoistAssist.

2. A handheld shower on a slide bar

This is the single most useful thing for a caregiver. A handheld shower lets you rinse the person while they sit, aim water away from their face, and keep yourself drier. Look for a hose of at least 59 inches, the length the ADA uses, and a slide bar so the head can be set at any height.

3. A real seat, at the right height

A fold-up shower seat or a sturdy transfer bench lets the person sit for the whole shower. Seat height should let their feet rest flat and their knees sit about level with their hips. A padded shower seat cushion makes a hard seat far more comfortable and warmer.

4. Grab bars where the transfer happens

Put grab bars where the person actually moves: at the shower entry, beside the seat, and next to the toilet. ADA guidance places grab bars 33 to 36 inches above the floor. They must be anchored into solid backing; never rely on a suction cup bar. Many of our shower wall systems are reinforced so bars can be mounted where you need them.

5. Room for the caregiver to stand

Plan clear floor space beside the shower opening so the caregiver can stand outside the wet area and reach in. A doorway of at least 32 inches clear makes it far easier to bring in a wheelchair or shower chair. If the bathroom door is narrow, offset hinges can gain a couple of inches without moving the wall.

6. A curtain, not glass doors

Glass shower doors block the caregiver and get in the way of transfers. A weighted curtain on a rod, plus a collapsible water dam at a low threshold, keeps water in and leaves the whole opening free.

7. Water temperature control

Older skin burns more easily, and some people cannot feel heat well. A pressure-balancing or thermostatic shower valve limits sudden temperature swings. You can also lower the water heater temperature, often to around 120 degrees Fahrenheit, a common recommendation to reduce scald risk.

8. Warmth, light and the floor

• Keep the room warm. People cool off quickly when wet and sitting still.
• Use bright, even lighting and a night light on the path from the bed.
• Use slip-resistant flooring or textured shower pans, and remove loose rugs.
• Keep towels, soap and clothes within reach before you start, so you never have to leave the person alone.

Protect your own back

Caregivers get hurt too. Avoid lifting. Let the seat, grab bars and transfer bench do the work. Bend at the knees, keep the person close, and do not twist. If a transfer is beyond what you can do safely, talk to their doctor about a physical or occupational therapist visit; an OT can recommend the right equipment for your home.

Help paying for it

Funding may be available depending on the person's situation: VA HISA grants for veterans, Medicaid waivers in many states, and other grants and programs. Some costs may count as a medical expense deduction.

Not sure what fits your bathroom?

Call 1-888-779-2284. Once you have picked the right shower or tub, a tech comes to the home for a full site visit to measure and plan around both of you before install day.