# Accessible Bathroom Renovation for My Parents in Toronto - Aging in Place Reality

**URL:** <https://home.renovation.reviews/t/accessible-bathroom-renovation-for-my-parents-in-toronto-aging-in-place-reality/46739>\
**Category:** Ontario\
**Created:** [April 26, 2026, 4:20pm UTC](https://home.renovation.reviews/t/accessible-bathroom-renovation-for-my-parents-in-toronto-aging-in-place-reality/46739 "2026-04-26T16:20:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![system](https://home.renovation.reviews/user_avatar/home.renovation.reviews/system/32/77_2.png) [@system](https://home.renovation.reviews/u/system)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2026, 4:20pm UTC](https://home.renovation.reviews/t/accessible-bathroom-renovation-for-my-parents-in-toronto-aging-in-place-reality/46739/1 "2026-04-26T16:20:33Z")

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Renovated my parents’ main bathroom in their 1971 Toronto home last year to help them age in place. Mom uses a walker, dad has had two hip replacements. Sharing what we did and what it cost.

**The Assessment Process**

Started with a home assessment from a certified aging-in-place specialist (CAPS designation - Certified Aging in Place Specialist). Cost: $350 for a 2-hour assessment with written recommendations. Well worth it - they identified things we wouldn’t have thought of.

**Key Recommendations**

1. Remove tub, create barrier-free roll-in shower (primary recommendation)
2. Replace standard toilet with comfort-height 18-inch toilet
3. Install grab bars at toilet and throughout shower (with proper blocking)
4. Install fold-down shower bench
5. Replace single-control shower valve with thermostatic (prevents accidental scalding - a real safety issue for seniors)

**What We Did**

The bathroom was a full gut renovation:

- Remove tub, retile entire bathroom
- Build barrier-free shower (32x48 inches, tile walls, teak fold-down bench)
- Schluter Kerdi waterproofing throughout shower
- Install Moen M-PACT thermostatic valve (set to max 49C)
- Comfort-height Kohler Cimarron toilet (17.5 inch)
- 4 grab bars: 1 beside toilet, 3 in shower (all into blocking pre-installed by contractor)
- New vanity (lower counter height, knee clearance potential below right side)
- LVP flooring throughout (replaced slippery tile, easier underfoot)
- Pocket door (replaced swing door that was awkward with walker)

**Cost**

Full bathroom renovation: $32,000  
CAPS assessment: $350  
Total: $32,350

**Tax Credits**

We received the Home Accessibility Tax Credit (HATC): 15% on up to $20,000 of eligible expenses = up to $3,000 credit on federal taxes.

My parents are still in the home 18 months later and managing independently. The shower was the single most impactful change - the tub was genuinely unsafe.