The Impact of Bathroom Design on Privacy for Users with Special Needs

Abstract

The aim of this article is to gain an understanding of the relations between the design of bathrooms and the use of the toilet with privacy when residents are unsteady, visually impaired and/or have dementia. The background is that earlier studies and own experiences in Norway indicate that the way bathrooms are designed is crucial for users to be as independent as possible when using the toilet. This article does not include studies on the access to toilets and washbasins for residents who are able to stand on their own. Neither have we studied the use of diapers. The scientific approach includes historical analyses of the rise of privacy when toileting and analyses of bathroom design practices in 20 Norwegian nursing homes. Our investigations show that the expectation that individuals should rid themselves of urine and faces in locked, private rooms arose in connection with the industrialization, democratization and hygienic modernization of Western countries. Analyses of contemporary nursing homes show that many institutions do not have design to facilitate privacy: there are no adjustable toilets, no crutch or walking stick holders, no flushing mechanisms within reach from a sitting position, no toilets that are visible from the residents’ bed, poor contrasts; the toilet paper, soap dispensers and paper towels are out of reach from a sitting position; there are few handles, few adjustable sinks and more than 70 cm between the toilet and the sink.