My father has fallen and can't get up

[fatjay]

Unfortunately, my father, being a bit up there in the years, he fell. My mother called 911 and he went to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with a broken femur, stayed for a week in the hospital, and now is in a long term rehab center. His expected rehab time is 6 weeks, of which he does not wish to stay in the LTC center.

One of the primary concerns of him coming home by my mother was going to the bathroom, of which he does frequently. However, the only bathrooms are on the second floor with the bedrooms, and with him being unable to walk, let alone climb stairs.

So my mother has decided she wants a first floor bathroom. Me being me, I decided not to half-ass it. Whole ass or no ass at all. So I roughed a sketch that would take up a small portion of her back porch, an addition to the sun room off the back of the house, approximately 9' wide by 16' long.

Going to do pocket doors so someone can't fall against it blocking the door, walk in shower, handicap accessible toilet, sink, as well as new laundry facilities since the room is big enough.

First step was to get all the bricks up from the back porch. I saved them for use in future projects. Then busted up all the concrete under it and got it out. Dug out the footers, poured concrete with rebar. Set up forms for the main floor. Did insulation, will want to match the continuous exterior stucco wall.

Picked up plumbing stuff for the drains and will do the plumbing tomorrow, then to the steel shop for the rebar on monday.

 

[repete]

Good for you on the slider door. It is really hard to tear a door apart when someone collapses in the bathroom with an in swinging door, which happens a LOT.

 

[fatjay]

Good for you on the slider door. It is really hard to tear a door apart when someone collapses in the bathroom with an in swinging door, which happens a LOT.

That was my very thought. He has a history of falling, and I just thought what would happen if he fell against the door so they couldn't get in.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Good for you to build a bath.

 

[newbury]

You are one WONDERFUL SON!!!
As we age are parts seem to work differently.
Just about a month ago I was standing and twisted a little and my knee went out so bad I hit the floor, was back to walking in 3 days but I'm a lot more careful about twisting.
Hope your dad recovers well.
Are you putting in a door which is big enough for a wheelchair to roll through?

 

[Jstpssng]

Good for you for doing that. As we age, none of us should plan on climbing stairs on a regular basis.
Have you given any thought to putting handcapped bars for the flush, and perhaps the bath?

 

[buckeyefarmer]

When I couldn’t walk 3 yrs ago I had to scoot up stairs on my bottom, and crawl to bathroom for a shower. I could use toilet downstairs, but wheelchair rubbed both sides going in door, and transfers to toilet seat was difficult. Make doors wide for wheelchair

 

[fatjay]

Good for you to build a bath.

They want to die in the home, never being put in long term care to die. If they want to stay in there long term, they're going to need a first floor everything. She just wanted a bathroom, she wanted a room half this size, only the first 2 windows. But if you're gonna do it, why not just bang everything out in one go? Put a big walk in shower, put a laundry room in it, so you don't have to go down to the basement at all.

The pocket door will be 36", the floor will be one continuous floor even into the shower, and the new floor will butt up against the existing floor, so there will be no ledge to go over. He will be able to wheel from the back room right into the shower or to the toilet with no obstructions. There will be plenty of room for him to spin in circles in the bathroom if he wants. The floor will have a slight pitch to the shower drain so the water will drain, but no ledges at all so he can roll in and transfer directly to a shower seat.

THe goal is to be able to wheelchair everywhere without any ledges or lines. Floor will be all continuous tile from the shower, toilet, floor, etc.

 

[newbury]

Well apparently they did a fine job of raising you!

 

[scaredychicken]

fatjay - impressive planning and work, no time wasted either.

I wonder if a (Safe Step) walk in tub would be an option to the shower ? A walk in shower with a seat is a good choice also, you've thought this through.

all the best with your dad's recuperation

 

[buckeyefarmer]

They want to die in the home, never being put in long term care to die. If they want to stay in there long term, they're going to need a first floor everything. She just wanted a bathroom, she wanted a room half this size, only the first 2 windows. But if you're gonna do it, why not just bang everything out in one go? Put a big walk in shower, put a laundry room in it, so you don't have to go down to the basement at all.

The pocket door will be 36", the floor will be one continuous floor even into the shower, and the new floor will butt up against the existing floor, so there will be no ledge to go over. He will be able to wheel from the back room right into the shower or to the toilet with no obstructions. There will be plenty of room for him to spin in circles in the bathroom if he wants. The floor will have a slight pitch to the shower drain so the water will drain, but no ledges at all so he can roll in and transfer directly to a shower seat.

THe goal is to be able to wheelchair everywhere without any ledges or lines. Floor will be all continuous tile from the shower, toilet, floor, etc.

When you’re done build me one.

 

[fatjay]

Thank you for all the well wishes. He is getting better, he's determined and very strong willed. Which is why I need to get this done sooner rather than later so he can come home safely. Combined with the fact that the weather is going to **** pretty quick. Today was 60's, tomorrow is 50's, and after that it's 40's and below. Having a missing wall will bleed heat even with plastic sheeting up, and they use oil heat and as many know, oil is top dollar right now.

Speaking of heat, After the concrete is poured, I want to do an electric radiant floor heating system. I have 1/2" for grout and 1/4" for tile built into the forms pour level. The closest forced air heat register is in the dining room which opens to the sun room, and then this bathroom. So while I'm insulating the hell out of this thing with floor and wall insulation, I can't count on it being warm enough in the colder months on it's own. My plan is to find a wire system less than 1/2" so I can tape down to the floor then bury it in the grout. The challenge is, I am unfamiliar with such systems, so any input is welcome on such a system. I'd rather it be thermostatically controlled, but on demand is ok if the difference in prices are astronomical between the two.

I'm having the guy who helped with my garage help me with this. He's an expert in all forms of construction, but is older and retired. He lost his footing earlier today and would have fallen and been impaled onto the exposed rebar had I not grabbed him and pulled him up at the last second. I am concerned for his safety so I'd like to have him do as little heavy labor as possible. It wasn't the first time I caught him falling on this project, he trips a lot.

I know a lot of folks here are more advanced as age goes. Please, know your re-evaluate your limits periodically, don't want anyone getting hurt. Ask for help when you can.

 

[newbury]

If you have not poured the concrete yet (no pic of it) could you put PEX in the floor for hot water heating or some other heating elements?
/edit
And are you putting insulation under the concrete?

 

[fatjay]

If you have not poured the concrete yet (no pic of it) could you put PEX in the floor for hot water heating or some other heating elements?
/edit
And are you putting insulation under the concrete?

I don't want to do the pex in concrete for hot water heat, it's a bit more complicated than I want to deal with. I've seen wire systems that are a bit easier. I hear it doesn't have as much heating capacity but I don't need as much heating capacity as say a cold building.

Yes, insulation will be under the concrete as well.

 

[Jstpssng]

They want to die in the home, never being put in long term care to die. If they want to stay in there long term, they're going to need a first floor everything. She just wanted a bathroom, she wanted a room half this size, only the first 2 windows. But if you're gonna do it, why not just bang everything out in one go? Put a big walk in shower, put a laundry room in it, so you don't have to go down to the basement at all.

The pocket door will be 36", the floor will be one continuous floor even into the shower, and the new floor will butt up against the existing floor, so there will be no ledge to go over. He will be able to wheel from the back room right into the shower or to the toilet with no obstructions. There will be plenty of room for him to spin in circles in the bathroom if he wants. The floor will have a slight pitch to the shower drain so the water will drain, but no ledges at all so he can roll in and transfer directly to a shower seat.

THe goal is to be able to wheelchair everywhere without any ledges or lines. Floor will be all continuous tile from the shower, toilet, floor, etc.

You are a good man. They raised you well.

 

[fatjay]

It does get exhausting at times. Working full time and this on nights and weekends. Plus the wife is newly pregnant, so I need to finish the basement and move my office down there to make a nursery. That's my next project, hopefully getting started on that one in january.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

Broke my femur in 1978.

 

[3Ts]

The wire system appears to add 1/4" in thickness - Wire system
The tape system appears to add 1/8" in thickness - Tape system

I do not know about either of these systems, I've never had a heated floor so can't provide anything other that what you'd find on google.

 

[dodge man]

Nice job, it looks like a lot of hand work. Hope your dad gets better and congratulations on the upcoming addition to the family.

 

[plowhog]

One suggestion is to purchase a high-quality pocket door. Not the flimsy models available at the home improvement stores. My last house had those flimsy models and they were a nightmare.

My new residence has a few pocket doors that are high quality. Difference is night and day. IIRC, shop for models that can handle or support a 200lb door.