The wardrobe in the barrier-free bedroom
For barrier-free bedrooms, cupboards that can be walked on or driven on have proven to be effective. A walk-in closet should have a depth of at least 90 cm or 150 cm for wheelchair users for easy accessibility.
In addition to walk-in closets, there are closet solutions that are equipped with clothes rails that can be folded out. Fold-out clothes rails, which are also known as cloakroom lifts or clothes lifts, can often be retrofitted at low cost, so it is possible to choose the wardrobe based on personal taste in order to make the bedroom more comfortable. The necessary functionality in the form of the fold-out clothes rail can then easily be added. Depending on the model, the clothes rail can be folded down mechanically using a lever or automatically using a remote control.
Garments and other items that are used frequently should be kept at a height of 40 cm to 140 cm in the bedroom closet. In general, a wardrobe that is too high is not fully usable for many groups of people, as the higher wardrobe areas are often hardly accessible. In this case, more cabinet width than cabinet height is important for more accessible storage space.
Cabinets should not be deeper than 60 cm in barrier-free bedrooms.
Gripping pliers are helpful and should be kept close at hand near the cupboard. With the help of the gripping pliers, a certain item of clothing can be easily grasped (even without a fold-out clothes rail).
In the case of cupboards with revolving doors or folding doors, the movement areas in front of the furniture are impaired. Sliding door wardrobes do not require any additional space in front of the wardrobe to open the doors and can therefore be the better choice in barrier-free bedrooms.
It is important that the inside of the cabinet is well lit (see also: lighting / light).
More furniture in the barrier-free bedroom
A non-slip chair or a non-slip bench with a seat height tailored to the user can make dressing and undressing much easier.
Chests of drawers at the right height and easy to reach offer plenty of storage space at easy reach. In the case of drawer chests of drawers in particular, it should be considered whether wall mounting makes sense in order to reliably prevent the chest of drawers from tipping over when the drawers are pulled out.
Checklist: barrier-free bedroom
- Is the room big enough? The minimum room size for barrier-free bedrooms is 15 m² and for wheelchair-accessible bedrooms 18 m².
- Is the bedroom free of tripping hazards and potential danger spots such as sharp corners or edges on furniture?
- Is the bedroom sufficiently sound and heat insulated?
- Can the room temperature be adapted to the resident’s individual heating requirements? Is there an additional heater, if applicable?
- Can the humidity in the room be regulated or at least controlled?
- Is it possible to have unhindered access to the bed? On the long side of the bed, a 90 cm wide movement area should be available in the barrier-free bedroom and a 150 cm wide movement area in the wheelchair-accessible bedroom. Ideally, the bed should be accessible from several sides.
- Does the bed height match the user or can the bed be adjusted in height? Including cushions, the bed or the lying surface of the bed should generally not be higher than 55 cm.
- If necessary, can lifting or standing aids be attached to the bed or near the bed – such as a bed gallows?
- Does the bed have an (electrically) adjustable slatted frame?
- Is the mattress tailored to the needs of the user?
- Can the ceiling light be operated from the bed?
- Is the bedside table sturdy and is the shelf large enough so that the telephone or the emergency call system are readily available on the bed?
- Is the light in the bedroom as well as in the cupboard or inside of the wardrobe sufficient and glare-free?
- Is there easy access to the wardrobe with sufficient space to move around or is the walk-in closet (room) large enough and offers a depth of at least 90 cm or 150 cm for wheelchair users?
- Does the wardrobe have a clothes lift or is it possible and necessary to retrofit it?
- Are the storage space or shelves for storing items of clothing at an accessible, suitable height?
Support / promotion
Anyone who wants to convert individual living spaces such as the bedroom or an entire apartment or house so that they are barrier-free can often receive funding or special promotional loans. Information on this is provided by the Federal Competence Center for Accessibility on the Internet, for example , where, among other things, a very extensive PDF file “Funding programs for measures to establish accessibility” is offered.
Aids such as a care bed can be requested from the health insurance company or from the care insurance company. If there is no care level, a doctor must issue a prescription. The application is checked and if the aid is approved in this case, the care bed, the responsible body usually pays the majority of the costs. Usually there is still a small personal contribution to be made.
