Episode 20: Ponte Giulio's Accessible Sinks can help Increase Independence with Activities of Daily Living

Becky Wright, CAPS; Division Manager from from Ponte Giulio USA, joins us again to educate our listeners on accessible sinks. These sinks will not just increase your independence and quality of life, but they will also look amazing in your bathroom. They are seamless and contemporary, come in different sizes, and some are even equipped with a grab bar/towel bar and storage.  Please listen to learn more about how an accessible sink can transform your bathroom and how you function in it.


Write to your Representative to support "The Home Modification for Accessibility Act" HR7676: https://p2a.co/0lTt5rf

Transcript

[00:00:00] Janet: and today we have Becky Wright with us. She was on our show once before, about two months ago. And I'm so happy that she's back. She is a division manager of Ponte, Julio USA. She is also a certified aging in place specialist, and she is an expert in bathroom safety. Becky, thank you for being with us today.

[00:00:25] Becky: Well, it's great to be with you, Janet. Thank you. 

[00:00:28] Janet: Yes. And I am excited that you are on today and you're going to be educating us on accessible syncs. Yes. So I will just let you. 

[00:00:41] Becky: Take it from there. Okay. Well, I'll, I think I will start first by talking about what an accessible sink is. As in a lot of.

[00:00:51] Becky: There is a sink it's in a cabinet in the bathroom that is not considered an accessible sink. An accessible sink is [00:01:00] wall mounted. It's not a pedestal it's wall mounted so that there is leg space to fit underneath the sink while seated. So. Someone who's sitting on a chair or someone who's using a wheelchair would be able to pull right up to the edge of the sink and use the sink.

[00:01:19] Becky: So that's what an accessible sink is. It's something that someone standing can use and also someone seated. We have a variety of sinks at Ponte Giulio they're made in Italy and they are really designed for accessibility. So each one Is a wall mounted sink. All of our sinks are wall mounted.

[00:01:42] Becky: A lot of them have elbow rests. So at the front corners of the sink, there is a spot for people to rest their elbows on the edge of the sink. The front of the sink is on a number of them [00:02:00] are curved. So they're concave front. And that is for comfort and efficiency. While someone is seated, it's easier for them to lean forward and reach the faucet and just.

[00:02:11] Becky: Do everything they need to at the sink. We also have sinks that have extra storage space on the sides and at the back of the sink, by the wall where it's mounted so that they can have all the things that they need right at their fingertips. Uh, We have a 330 pound load capacity on our wall mounted sinks.

[00:02:35] Becky: That is because people who have some accessibility and mobility issues they will frequently, even if they're not seated, they will lean on the sink. And as you can imagine, a sink that's been mounted to the wall. If it doesn't have the support it needs, you could eventually loosen that sink and it could come off the wall.

[00:02:58] Becky: So you wanna make sure [00:03:00] that they're always mounted into blocking into the wall so that everything is very securely mounted, but then we, our sinks will support 330 pounds of leaning on them. I wouldn't have it's not something that people can sit on and. Dance on or anything, but certainly it will accommodate someone leaning on them.

[00:03:20] Becky: A lot of our sinks have Ergonomic towel, bars or hand pulls so they can look like a grab bar that's actually built into the sink that will help someone pull themselves closer to the sink. Those are really nice in some sinks, they are optional and others it's actually just part of the design.

[00:03:40] Becky: So it's it's right into the design of the sink. We have one that has on the front edge where it's kind of it's curved and concave. There's actually a lower edge. Underneath the sink that has, it's a grab edge that they can reach underneath and pull. It's almost like a grab bar that's [00:04:00] underneath that sink.

[00:04:01] Becky: And then all of our sinks have seamless manufacturing. So that makes it a little easier to clean and keep them nice. So that's what an accessible sink is. It's got lots of features that you wouldn't necessarily find on a standard sink. And they are really all designed for folks that might need to use that sink.

[00:04:22] Becky: Well seated. Yeah. And that's 

[00:04:24] Janet: remarkable that it can hold up to 330 pounds because they don't look. Like they're for 

[00:04:33] Becky: bariatric use at all? No. And they they're just really, we have, they're very nice materials as well. We have a number of porcelain sinks, so that's gonna just look like your standard San porcelain.

[00:04:47] Becky: But we also have what we call acrylic stone which is kind of a generic term for Corian. Or LG IMAX, if you're familiar with either one of those materials also really nice and seamless[00:05:00] so that you are not going to have, seems that need have problems being cleaned. And then we also have another Material we make sinks from it's called mineral composite, and mineral composite is a synthetic material.

[00:05:15] Becky: It's 75% stone and it's got really high impact strength. So it's along the lines of more like an acrylic stone, but it's actually made with 75% of it is stone. 

[00:05:27] Janet: Oh wow. That's wonderful. And I'm looking here at your website. They're all a different shade of white. Yes. Do they come in other colors or is 

[00:05:42] Becky: it basically that we just go white?

[00:05:44] Becky: So we do not have other colors. It's. Usually the most popular color for any bathroom is white. So that's what kind of drives it for us and I really don't even get people asking for other colors. [00:06:00] Yeah. 

[00:06:02] Janet: Well, I'm here looking at the ergonomic sink with the elbow rest and the triangle shaped basin.

[00:06:07] Janet: And I just love that shape because. 

[00:06:10] Becky: It really conforms to the person's body. Yes, it does. That. You can see and obviously your listeners can't see these photos while we're talking, but it does have that curved, concave front it's got elbow rest. You can kind of see it on the corner. So there's a spot for somebody to put their elbows and then plenty of extra storage space on the back of the sink and on the sides of the sink.

[00:06:36] Janet: Yeah, and that's really important. And that's one reason why we do not recommend pedestal sinks. Is because they don't have enough surface area to provide the person with storage. Yeah. So it creates an issue because storage is so important in the 

[00:06:57] Becky: bathroom. Yes, it is. As yes, [00:07:00] it is.

[00:07:00] Becky: There's a lot and you think. Storage and you go, well, it's not that important, but it really is because when you think about all the things you keep in your drawers and your cupboards in the bathroom you need a toothbrush. You need toothpaste, you need a comb, a brush, a washcloth soap, just the.

[00:07:19] Becky: Those are just the very basics that you would need. Right. Somebody might need their cosmetic bag. They might need a hair dryer. They might need some hair products or deodorant, even just, there's an all sorts of things that really do need to be available to someone while they're taking care of themselves in the bathroom.

[00:07:38] Becky: I 

[00:07:39] Janet: agree. I think normally people do not have enough storage space in a bathroom. 

[00:07:43] Becky: I 

[00:07:44] Janet: would like they're just not 

[00:07:46] Becky: designed. Yeah. I would agree with that. I would say that would've probably applies to probably 98% of all Americans feel like they don't have enough room in their bathroom enough storage space.

[00:07:56] Becky: I think that applies to absolutely [00:08:00] everyone, but if you need an accessible bathroom, You've lost those drawers on the side and the cabinets underneath. So it's even more important. Yes. 

[00:08:09] Janet: Right. And so, and I know we're shifting the subject a little bit, but since you mentioned that, how, if you install one of these accessible sinks, you've automatically lost storage.

[00:08:23] Janet: So what other options does Ponte Julio? To make up 

[00:08:28] Becky: for that lost story. We do have some wall hung cabinetry that is available. It's a really nice option for someone who's using inaccessible sink. It is. There's one that's 48 inches high one that is 60 inches high. And they are 12 inches wide and seven inches deep.

[00:08:48] Becky: So they really, they have shelves inside. Those are fabulous. And what's really nice about 'em is that they have a you can use a grab [00:09:00] bar. As part of the mounting. So then in addition to that storage unit that can Mount on the wall near the sink, it also has a vertical grab bar that runs along the length of the cabinet.

[00:09:14] Becky: And those will support up to 265 pounds. So those work very nicely. And when I've seen those, they do not appear to. You lose the grab bar. The grab bar is just kinda lost as you're looking at the cabinet. You don't even see that there's any kind of a safety component. No, to the cabinets.

[00:09:37] Becky: And they're very easy to open. You can open 'em with a pre you can just push on them and they'll pop right open. Or if you like, you can just kind of pull it open. It's held closed with a. . 

[00:09:46] Janet: Yeah, I really like that product. So if someone wants to remodel their bathroom and they wanna put in an accessible sink, what is the 

[00:09:59] Becky: [00:10:00] process?

[00:10:00] Becky: Well, the. The number one thing would be to know what's behind your wall. Do you need to have blocking if you're doing a total bathroom remodel? That is something that you can. You can have them just take the wall out when they're doing the remodel and make sure they're putting, blocking everywhere.

[00:10:22] Becky: If you're just doing the sink, you're taking it out. And now you're putting in an accessible sink. You can still do that. It doesn't require a total remodel. What it would require is that You would determine where the sink is gonna go in the wall and then they cut the dry wall in the plaster and remove it put, blocking between the various studs that they're gonna find there.

[00:10:45] Becky: Then the dry wall and plaster needs to go back on needs to be painted so that it all matches. And then you're gonna know where you're gonna be able to Mount that sink safely. So that it's gonna stay there for you. Yeah, and [00:11:00] then it's just The same as installing any other sink, you're gonna do the water connections and the drain connections.

[00:11:07] Becky: Then underneath the sink. In some cases we have some side supports that you can put on. There's usually holes at the back of the sink that can be held onto the wall with bolts and screws and but there's others that have a SI an extra support bracket, then that would kind of fit under this.

[00:11:29] Becky: They're all under the sink. But it just give, and that helps support that 330 pounds and just make sure that the sink is there and attach safely. And then you just caul around the edges cock on the back before you actually do the install and Mount it just like you would do any other sink. 

[00:11:47] Janet: And what about maintenance for this material?

[00:11:51] Janet: And I wanna say I, I grew up in the eighties and I remember the porcelain sinks that eventually would crack and [00:12:00] so I'm just thinking about what is a longevity of. This material well 

[00:12:06] Becky: compared to porcelain. Well, the porcelain is going to it's gonna last as long as porcelain lasts I've had porcelain sinks that have lasted 20, 30 years in the homes I've lived in a Corian and a LG high max, the acrylic stone and the mineral composite.

[00:12:27] Becky: I would say those are probably even more durable than the porcelain. They are really? Yeah. And they won't crack. No, they won't crack. They won't crack.

[00:12:38] Janet: Yeah, because I see it all the time. I've been in so many bathrooms and especially bathrooms that had never been remodeled. Yeah. Some of these bathrooms are from the sixties and seventies and you always see a crack on the sink. Yeah. I mean, it's lasted a long time. 

[00:12:58] Becky: But, 

[00:12:58] Janet: well, there's [00:13:00] really nothing you can do right.

[00:13:01] Becky: Once the crack is that's right. And and I guess if you're dropping a brick into your sink, there's a chance that you're gonna put a gouge or some, a crack in it. Usually I would think those cracks that you see in older sinks probably came when somebody drops something heavy into the sink so they are.

[00:13:21] Becky: They're very durable, but they are also fragile. For example, when we ship any of our sinks to our distributors or to OTs that are having them installed for a client we have to ship them on a pallet. So they have to go by freight. They cannot ship by ups or FedEx just because. They would arrive as a box of pieces.

[00:13:44] Becky: You can imagine something porcelain and they're heavy. They're they're big boxes. They weigh 50 pounds in some cases, a little more than that. And the ups and FedEx guys out of the box, out of the truck, they drop them [00:14:00] and put 'em on a two Wheeler and wheel 'em up so we do not ship any of our sinks by ground.

[00:14:05] Becky: So everything has to go by truck. Okay.

[00:14:07] Janet: Okay. And I'm here looking at the acrylic stone sink with the stainless steel handle pool. I really like how that looks. As well as the, you have another one that's similar. It's just, the sink is a slightly different shape. Now. It looks very contemporary. And if I didn't know that was an accessible sink, I would think it was just for decor purposes.

[00:14:35] Janet: Now my question is does Ponte Julio make additional hand pull? Bars that are in different finishes or right now, are we 

[00:14:49] Becky: only in the they're just all into stainless steel at that point. Yeah. That's really kind of the look that most clients have wanted. Now we do have a sink that actually has [00:15:00] handles that are molded.

[00:15:02] Becky: That's one of the mineral composite stone. Sinks and it's made out of stone and the actual mold for that sink has openings. So that one has openings at the side that are a handle that you can actually pull on. So that one if you didn't wanna have that stainless, that would certainly be an option to actually have kind of that handhold in the sink itself.

[00:15:26] Janet: Now I've seen some drawer attachments yeah. That come with these sinks. Yes. 

[00:15:32] Becky: Okay. Tell us about that. The drawer attachments that is for some of our acrylic stone sinks, and these are optional things. So if you have a little bit more space, a lot of times when someone calls and says, I need to get a new sink it needs to be accessible.

[00:15:48] Becky: We took out the cabinet. Here's how much space I have. I took a look through all of our listing of sinks and the width of the sink. The narrowest one I have is [00:16:00] 23 inches. So that's a pretty small sink, but the widest one I have is 48 inches. So that's four feet. So you're really and those are the ones that give us the option of adding additional.

[00:16:14] Becky: Under the counter drawers. We have a small single drawer. That's let's see. It's 13 inches by five inches. And then we have a double drawer that's 13 by 17 inches. So those are definitely options that can be added to some of the sinks. So then that would actually, even though the sink itself is accessible, cuz those are off to the side and you get the option of off to the left or off to the.

[00:16:41] Becky: And then you can add those in. So if you didn't wanna have cabinetry in the room that would definitely give you some additional storage space while still providing the accessibility to be able to get up to the sink, have your legs fit underneath it. In some cases there's a grab [00:17:00] bar right at the front that helps pull you to the front.

[00:17:02] Becky: If you don't need it as a grab bar if you're just installing this sink in your home, then you can use that grab. As a towel bar. So you can hang your hand towel over that. So these are not. Exclusively for people who have mobility challenges, you could put any of these sinks in your home.

[00:17:22] Becky: They're really modern. They're very clean, very stylish. Some of them have very shallow basins. Some have very deep basins. Some are just three or four inches deep. Others are nine inches deep, like a more like a traditional sink. 

[00:17:39] Janet: And is that for the purpose? Different styles offering different styles or okay.

[00:17:46] Janet: There's no functional purpose to having more 

[00:17:48] Becky: shallows. No, it if you are somebody that really has a problem reaching into the sink, then maybe you don't want a nine inch deep one, maybe having one that's only four inches deep [00:18:00] will allow you to. If you drop something in the sink, be able to retrieve it yourself.

[00:18:05] Becky: So there's some options like that, but it's mainly a stylish thing. I would say. There certainly some people might find one easier to use than another. 

[00:18:14] Janet: Yeah. And I really like how you mentioned the product, the sink that you have, that's 48 feet. Oh, why because that would allow for two 

[00:18:28] Becky: users.

[00:18:29] Becky: Well, it could to use the sync at the same time. Well, it could it, but it. If one person is seated more than half of that is devoted to the sink area. And then the drawers are off to the side. And if you didn't wanna add the drawers, then you, what you have there is you have another, I don't know, it looks like it's maybe 18 inches 20.

[00:18:52] Becky: 21 inches, 18, maybe inches off to the side that now you have a counter, basically. So [00:19:00] even if you don't have the traditional cabinetry, you can still have a counter that has all of your accessories and personal care items on it. So it really it just, it really gives you a lot of options.

[00:19:13] Becky: And that's what we really like to do. Is we design sinks that are accessible and safe, but also give the homeowners options for what they wanna do for their space. 

[00:19:25] Janet: Right. And I see you also have shower stools and, or can these stools also be. If you wanna put it by the 

[00:19:35] Becky: sink? Oh yeah, absolutely.

[00:19:37] Becky: Okay. We have, from some, we have a lot of shower seating. We do have several several that are free standing. Like a little bench, a little chair. But you wouldn't have to use those if you didn't want to. We have some nice, the, our hug chair with arms and a back rest. Those are [00:20:00] really nice.

[00:20:00] Becky: And that's got a really cool feature. You can choose the color of the seat in the back and then the legs of the chair can be ordered in the same colors as some of our prestige plus. Grab bars. So there you do have some color options. So for example, if you wanted to have lime green grab bars in your bathroom, in your shower, for example you could order a chair that had that same lime green legs that you could have out by the sink, or it could be in the shower too, if you wanted to.

[00:20:34] Becky: But 

[00:20:35] Janet: yeah, I'm looking at the 

[00:20:37] Becky: hug folding shower seat. Now. Okay. And at the one with the back and the arm. Okay. Yeah. And that's a wall mounted sink. So that would not be something that would work at a sink, but certainly in a shower. Right. Certainly in a shower that work. Yeah. Yeah, Yeah.

[00:20:53] Janet: Yeah. Well, that's great. And is this hug chair, is this sturdier than. [00:21:00] A regular bath bench 

[00:21:01] Becky: or balance. Well, I think it chair, it is, I don't know that it is sturdier. It has a 330 pound load capacity for the hug chair with the back and armrest. That's the one you are looking at? Yeah. Yes, it is.

[00:21:14] Becky: It'll tolerate the water and the humidity, so it can be used. In the shower, it can be used by the sink. It can actually can be moved anywhere in the home. The real cool thing about that is that you can coordinate it so that the legs of the seat actually match the grab bars in the bathroom. So it really kind of gives you a nice tied together coordinated look.

[00:21:38] Becky: Right. 

[00:21:38] Janet: And it looks very cont. Yes, too. Yes. And then it has that opening. Yep. 

[00:21:43] Becky: Which it, and for water, easy for draining. And then also that's a way that you can easily grab hold of it and move it from spot to spot. Makes it just a little bit easier to move. Yeah. 

[00:21:56] Janet: So I think like the ones that you were talking about [00:22:00] earlier, What is the cost approximately?

[00:22:03] Becky: Well, the costs they're gonna vary greatly sinks that are the porcelain sinks are going to be the most economical. And the list price on those starts usually right around a little over $300. So that.

[00:22:19] Becky: So the porcelain. Sinks they're the most economical. Those are gonna have a list price of just a little over $300 in some cases others can go all the way up to almost $2,000, so, oh, wow. Yeah. So there, there's a huge difference in the pricing. So it really depends on what you're looking for, what your needs are.

[00:22:43] Becky: But we can usually find a sink that an accessible sink for almost any budget. Having that. Usually it's the porcelain. That's gonna be the best for the, somebody that has a smaller budget. But if if somebody [00:23:00] has great needs that they need to have that side storage those 48 inch wide acrylic stone with the added drawers and the and.

[00:23:10] Becky: Optional towel bar or grab bar will. They can be expensive, but they are beautiful sinks. 

[00:23:18] Janet: Yeah. So is it usually an occupational therapist that will. Measure and let the person know what they need or how do clients 

[00:23:28] Becky: come to you? I would say I do talk to occupational therapists about syncs.

[00:23:34] Becky: Absolutely. But a lot of times it's the the home Modi, the contractor who's reaching out to me, or even in some cases, it's the homeowner who's calling and saying, I found your. I'm remodeling my bathroom. I want my contractor to buy it. How does he go about doing that? And then I just, he just reaches out to me and I can help him get that ordered.

[00:23:57] Becky: So it's it, [00:24:00] sometimes people buy the things just because they like the looks of them. They don't necessarily need them for the accessibility. But anytime somebody is really looking at remodeling their bathroom with maybe. Zero threshold, shower so they can just get in easily. They're putting in a shower seat.

[00:24:17] Becky: They're adding a couple of grab bars. That's a nice time for them to take a look and say, I can get more space in this bathroom. If I take that wall cabinetry out and just have a wall mounted sink. Yeah. And plan for the future. Yes, absolutely. At the same time. Absolutely. One of the things that has come up to our, my attention recently is that the percentage of American homes that ha are accessible is very small.

[00:24:44] Becky: And it's something that we really should be thinking of. As a matter of fact, there is some legislation in Congress right now that is a home modification. Bill it's called HR 76 [00:25:00] 76. And what that would do is it would. Allow people to take a tax incentive to make home modifications to their home.

[00:25:10] Becky: So it can be done before you're 59 and a half. And then you can take money from an IRA without penalty. So you, they waive the penalty. And if you're over a 59 and a half, then it's just a tax credit on your taxes. So it's a real nice. Option right now, there is nothing out there that in gives an incentive for people to plan ahead and to be proactive, to help make their home safer.

[00:25:40] Becky: And that's not just for bathrooms. That would be for any kind of a home modification that would make homes more accessible as people Age, and then they can continue to live in that home. So it's it's something we're really excited about. We're hoping that it'll pass. I know that that's put on by, it was introduced [00:26:00] to Congressman by the homes renewed coalition.

[00:26:04] Becky: And we are asking anybody who happens to be hearing this podcast to please reach out to your Congressman in Washington and ask them to. Support and also consider co-sponsoring HR 76 76, which is the home modification incentive act. And what that would then do is that Congress will work out all the details, but at this point there would be money available for you with a tax incentive, your money.

[00:26:36] Becky: The government's not providing any of the money for the work, but you would have some tax incentives to use that money to make your home safer. 

[00:26:43] Janet: And that would be great because if other programs like buying appliances that are energy star rated, or buying an electric car and you get different kinds of incentives also for skylights, we just had sales [00:27:00] representative from Velux

[00:27:01] Janet: and there are many, in fact the skylight will completely be paid for through. Tax incentive. Yeah. And rebates. 

[00:27:12] Becky: Well, the uh, so it's the same, it's a similar program to what is going on with solar panels. This last just had solar panels put on my house and that's right. I remember. Yep. And we will we will have almost an $11,000 tax credit.

[00:27:27] Becky: On our taxes and next year, and this is the last year, unless they reauthorize it that you can get that 26% tax credit. So it was a big, it was a big motivation for us to go ahead this year. Just kind of looking ahead, it's like, okay, that's the wave of the future. Electricity is It is all the time.

[00:27:51] Becky: And just for the environment it's a lot safer when the sun is shining here to be generating all of our electricity ourselves. 

[00:27:59] Janet: [00:28:00] Yeah. And I can see this being such a benefit to not just older people, but you know, people who are on the younger side, for example, 59 that. Planning and want to make renovations to their home.

[00:28:16] Janet: If these tax incentives exist, then perhaps paying $2,000 for a 48 foot wide sink with storage. Isn't so, no 

[00:28:27] Becky: It's not so expensive. Well, and you have to think of, there's a lot of different family situations. If you have a parent or a grandparent that visits your home and your home is not accessible number one, they're just not gonna be able to come.

[00:28:41] Becky: They're not gonna be able to get into the house or if you can get them in, they're not gonna be able to use the restroom. They're not gonna be able to maneuver around your home. So I think having more homes with universal design that makes them accessible to everyone. [00:29:00] Yes.

[00:29:01] Becky: You can get through that doorway. That's 27 inches wide and that's fine, but if you have a 36 inch wide doorway, everybody can get through it. Whether they're using exactly they're using a Walker, they're using a wheelchair, they're just walking along on their feet. Making homes more accessible.

[00:29:22] Becky: It benefits everyone in your family, in your community. And it's also a great. Selling point when it comes time to moving out of your home, that and people might not even realize that having wider stairs, having wider doorways, having Levers instead of round doorknobs, it just makes it easier for everyone.

[00:29:44] Becky: We, yeah, we moved into our house last year and one of the very first it was a new build. But it wasn't a custom build. And one of the first things I had my husband do was replace every doorknob with a lever. I couldn't [00:30:00] believe the difference in how much easier it was to get out the door. With my dog, with just myself.

[00:30:07] Becky: if my hands are wet, those doorknobs, I it's been so long since I had those on a door that I was delighted to get rid of them. And actually I ended up putting 'em up on marketplace and I sold them to a. Apartment owner so someone else that's right. So they took them and they're using them in their rental properties and it's like, well, lovers would be better, but yeah, they didn't end up in the landfill.

[00:30:34] Becky: They went to somebody who had a way of using them. So. 

[00:30:39] Janet: and and they are so much prettier too. Yeah. And they look so much more contemporary and another thing that I've noticed and it's because in my, the house I lived in Colorado had doorknobs and the house I currently live in has lever handles.

[00:30:56] Janet: And I remember I would have to clean the [00:31:00] doorknobs because you could see them you could see the grind building on them because your entire. Is touching it and you're twisting yeah. Where with the lever there's, you're touching less surface area. And so I do clean them because they're Chrome.

[00:31:18] Janet: So they definitely they do need to be polished. But not the way I had to 

[00:31:25] Becky: clean the door up. Yeah. That's absolutely accurate. Yeah. You can use your arm to even open a lever. They just really are much nicer. Exactly. 

[00:31:35] Janet: Yeah. You can have that grocery bags in both hands and 

[00:31:39] Becky: still open.

[00:31:40] Becky: Yes. Your door. Yeah, you can. Yeah. And that's once you have them, I don't care how old you are. You can. 20 exactly. You're gonna go. These are much nicer than the round doorknobs, these ignore. Yeah. And that's a universal design feature in a home. And just even like toggle switches instead of light [00:32:00] switches thing just super easy.

[00:32:02] Becky: Again, you can use your elbow. If your hands are full, you can do it with eat very easily. It just makes your life so much easier to have universal. Incorporated into your home and it makes your home accessible. 

[00:32:15] Janet: Yeah. And it, right. And like you said, visitability the reason why, one of the reasons why we bought our current home is because it has a main floor bedroom.

[00:32:31] Janet: And I for my mother-in-law. we just thought that was going to really serve them. Well, if they didn't have to use the stairs to go to their guest bedroom, like they did in our Colorado home, because we didn't have any bedrooms on the main floor. Yeah. And even though my mom does not use a Walker and neither does my mother-in-law, they don't use a cane either.

[00:32:56] Janet: but they are in their seventies. Yeah. And [00:33:00] Lucki going up and down the 

[00:33:01] Becky: stairs is issue that's right. It is. I did something to my knee two weeks ago and I've been hobbling around for two weeks. And it's like, It's made me feel like I'm 90 years old with my Sony that can happen to you at any age.

[00:33:15] Becky: Having that main floor bedroom and bath makes a huge difference for your visibility. Yep. It for everyone. And it's just a really nice feature in a home. 

[00:33:26] Janet: It is. It is. Well, I am so happy that you were here today and you educated us on sinks because I think we don't talk about it enough. We talk about under Mount sinks and accessible sinks, but.

[00:33:43] Janet: It doesn't the conversation doesn't go much further than that. Well, you know how they can be beautiful well and 

[00:33:50] Becky: seamless and modern really nice. And and the other thing is they do open up the floor. It makes it easier to clean the bathroom as well. Yeah, because now you can just [00:34:00] mop under the sink.

[00:34:00] Becky: You're not dealing with a floor board. Yeah. You're not dealing with a pedestal. A wall Mount sink is just a really nice use of space. It 

[00:34:09] Janet: is. And then you can put your storage in other areas. Yes. Just like you do in the kitchen. Yes, exactly. You know how you have cabinetry. Of course it's gonna make a difference.

[00:34:20] Janet: How big or small your bathroom is, how much storage you can add. But I would love to be able to sit at the sink yeah. And do my activities of daily living. And 

[00:34:31] Becky: I can't. Well, it's just not an option. And just to once I think if people start to see wall mounted sinks it, it's not on their radar, they just don't even know it's available.

[00:34:43] Becky: And it is an accessibility product, but it does not need to be, it can just be a nice option for your home. 

[00:34:51] Janet: Well, just like when you go to upscale restaurants and upscale hotels, you see them too. Yes. Yeah. I love going to the [00:35:00] bathroom just to see what it looks like. Yeah. Yeah. Because it's always a nice to yes, well and there's sh.

[00:35:06] Becky: Showcasing some of the more beautiful products which is what a lot of people wanna do. And if you're gonna be doing a big bathroom remodel and you're gonna really change it from builder grade to really cool products just knowing that there are other options out there is it's really nice.

[00:35:23] Janet: Yeah. Yeah. Well, thank you so much for being with us today and we hope to have you again, and maybe next time you can talk about Wal 

[00:35:33] Becky: hunt chairs for the shower. Oh, absolutely. I which yes, we have. I talk about shower seats all the time. so I would love to come back and talk with you about that.

[00:35:44] Janet: Okay, great. Thank 

[00:35:46] Becky: you back. Thank you. Have a wonderful day. You too. Bye-bye.