Attention baby boomers! So what if you're growing older (they're going to be twice as many of you over 65 by the year 2030)? You're also growing wiser and so should your home. It's time to create a smart-aging home that is safer and more accessible to you or an aging parent

Start with some simple modifications where most accidents happen - the bathroom:

A safer shower

• Install a hand-held showerhead with non-slip handle for easy bathing.
• Forget about 'hospital white' grab bars, install stylish ones in every colour, including brass, inside and outside the shower.
• Don't slip in the tub. Make sure to use a rubber mat inside and outside the shower.
• Take a shower sitting down in style and safety with a shower bench.
• For soap and shampoo at your fingertips, hang an automatic soap dispenser right above the tap.

Tending to the toilet

• Buy a plastic seat that adds up to five inches in height and can be attached easily to your existing toilet seat.
• Install a grab bar near the toilet for extra support.

Other bathroom tips

• Forget about leaning down to read the scale, buy one that actually talks to you - and it doesn't lie.
• Keep a vanity mirror nearby that magnifies and illuminates.
• Keep your pills organised and tidy in a stylish Trigere Red European Pillcase or Crimson Bee Pillcase.
• Keep a phone in the bathroom for any emergency.
• Re-hinge the bathroom door to open out toward the hall, rather than into the bathroom. If anyone should fall against the door, an easy rescue is possible.
• Replace older two-handle taps with easy-to-use single-lever ones.
• Use large rocker light switches that turn on with a simple push.
• Install warm, white florescent lighting, which are better for aging eyes.
• Keep towels and accessories bright and colourful for easier visibility and contrast.
• Hang a magnifying glass near the medicine cabinet to read prescriptions.
• Keep a night light on in the bathroom. Some suppliers make them that do double duty as a torch.
• Install easy-to-open single-lever doorknobs on bathroom doors or use a doorknob extension lever.