Barrier-free flat - what needs to be considered?

In old age, it becomes increasingly difficult to manage everyday life. Tripping hazards are a particular problem for older people. Those who fall in old age risk, among other things, a fracture of the neck of the femur, which entails surgery and a long regeneration period. That is why barrier-free living is an important aspect, especially in old age, in order to be able to remain largely self-determined in one's own two walls for as long as possible. But what exactly does barrier-free living mean? How does barrier-free construction work? What do you have to consider if you want to install a barrier-free, age-appropriate bathroom and a barrier-free toilet?

When exactly is a flat or house considered "barrier-free"? What are the criteria for this? There are considerable differences between the various terms such as senior-friendly, barrier-free, low-threshold and barrier-free.

Barrier-free housing is a precisely defined term. The law imposes very specific requirements, which are precisely regulated in the DIN 18040-2 standard for both the private residential sector and the public sector of residential buildings. The most important criteria for the dwelling are

• Movement space in corridors and flats must be 1.20 m by 1.20 m
• Floor coverings must be firmly laid and slip-resistant, they must neither reflect nor dazzle
• Doors must have a minimum size of 80 cm x 2.05 m, the door handle must be at a height of 85 cm. There must be space for movement behind and in front of the door.
• Doors and windows must be easy to open and close; safety markings at eye level are provided for glass doors.
• In the kitchen, all utensils including the worktop should be easily accessible.
• The balcony must have a balustrade of at least 60 cm, it must also be accessible without thresholds and there must be space for movement at doors and windows.

However, this list is only a small excerpt of the entire valid DIN standard 18040-2. Requirements for bathrooms and toilets are explained in more detail below.

Common barriers that need to be identified and removed include

• Narrow space
• An entrance to the shower that is too high
• Cupboards that are too high and difficult to reach
• Stairs and door thresholds

Light switches that are too high and sockets that are too low

Even though it may seem like it at first, there is a difference. Barrier-free living does not necessarily mean wheelchair-accessible living. In Din Standard 18040-2, a distinction is made between the terms "barrier-free" and "unrestrictedly usable with a wheelchair". Wheelchair-accessible includes accessibility, but has higher requirements for the space available and the living environment, such as a wider doorway and a particularly large movement area in the bathroom and kitchen.

In the case of barrier-free housing, accessibility according to the Equal Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities Act paragraph 4 is the requirement. In housing construction, a further distinction is made between flats that can be used without barriers and flats that can be used without barriers and without restrictions with a wheelchair. In the latter case, this form is marked with an R.

A wheelchair-accessible flat must continue to have

• A wheelchair parking space
• Wheelchair-accessible living space and furnishings
• A wheelchair-accessible bathroom

have.

People with disabilities and senior citizens often find it difficult to get into a shower or bathtub if it is not at ground level. The great advantage of designing a shower at ground level is that it makes it extremely easy to get into. So, if possible, you should realise barrier-free construction even before old age. If the time has come and the resident is no longer so mobile, grab bars can be retrofitted in the bathroom or shower quite quickly. A bathroom conversion is then no longer so costly.

To make the toilet barrier-free, sufficient space should be planned next to the toilet for a carer or for a wheelchair. A toilet seat raiser with armrests or a grab bar next to the toilet bowl can be very helpful.

The kitchen must also be included in your considerations. It is one of the most important rooms in a flat. All kitchen appliances should be easy to reach. If you are planning a new kitchen today, you will find many manufacturers who address this issue and offer barrier-free kitchens.  

A kitchen is considered barrier-free if people with physical disabilities can use the entire kitchen with appliances without assistance from others. If the kitchen is used with a wheelchair, there must also be a sufficiently large radius of movement.

Easily accessible, height-adjustable tall cupboards that can be moved underneath are ideal. Freely movable mobile containers and telescopic pull-outs also simplify the use of the kitchen. If possible, the oven and the refrigerator should be placed slightly higher.

If the tenant subsequently wants to make alterations, he or she must obtain the landlord's consent. Only in exceptional cases may the landlord refuse the conversion measures - for example, if this would result in a restriction for the other tenants or if the fabric of the building would be endangered.

If a conversion is planned, you should first find out about financing and subsidy options. This is possible, for example, through KfW or through the long-term care insurance fund if the resident already has a long-term care degree. With KfW, however, you are bound to the DIM standard 18040-2, whereas the long-term care insurance fund checks which impairments exist.

If a house or flat is to be built barrier-free, it requires the involvement of specialist personnel . Retrofitting at a later stage is almost always more expensive than taking accessibility into account right from the start of the new construction.

However, it is generally advisable, if you want to build barrier-free, to carry out this construction carefully with the help of advice from architects or housing consultancies as well as with specialist personnel.

With regard to the applicable funding measures, it is important to take into account DIN Standard 18040-2, which was created in principle for newly built residential buildings and flats.

When most people think of barrier-free living, they first think of the shower or the entrance to the flat. But there are many more aspects: cables hanging down, flower pots on the stairs or in the way, etc. can quickly become an obstacle. Carpets that are not well glued to the floor can also slip or curl and thus become a tripping hazard.

To avoid cables, it is a good idea to use cordless telephones and laptops. All other cables should be laid in such a way that they cannot interfere anywhere or are close to walkways.

Floor mats should be embedded in the floor and even the transitions between the individual rooms could become a tripping hazard. Here, small ramps can compensate for any differences in height.

Barrier-free housing is especially important for people in old age or with physical limitations. This preserves a high degree of independence and allows the resident to stay in the flat as long as possible, which is usually the wish of older people anyway.

In barrier-free living, the rooms should not be too small and not too angled. Tripping hazards should be removed and the bathroom, toilet and kitchen can often be made barrier-free with little effort. In general, however, the kitchen, the bathroom and the toilet place very special demands on barrier-free living.