Up close and too personal.

Yes, it probably is — to talk of something so intimate and personal as all things done in the bathroom. Still, there are some things worthy of discussion.

It all started with needing to update to our master bath. Replace the stool and vanity. New fixtures for the walk-in shower. New flooring. New paint job. You get the picture. So began the quest.

First, fixtures for the shower. My husband requested a double unit with a large rain head and separate hand held. Great idea. Now I can make sure all the shampoo and conditioner are fully rinsed out. And how refreshing to glide that wand all over the body. Glad we did it.

Next, replacing the vanity along with a new mirror. I kept the overhead light fixtures, which looked fine. However, the bigger mirror and taller vanity led to the light fixtures being rehung a little higher. The result — not enough light for applying my make up. The solution: a counter-height magnifying mirror. Lovely and oh, so helpful.

Now the really personal bathroom stuff. We definitely needed a new stool. After touring some bathroom showrooms and visiting with a very helpful salesperson, we decided on a bidet. No real research involved; not a lot of thought went into it. We just did it, and I’m so glad we did. Sitting down on a warmed toilet seat is heavenly — really! Then there are the other features: the front and back spray, the dryer, deodorizer, etc. This queen really does feel like she’s sitting on a throne.

All the necessary changes are in place, and I’m happy with the outcome. But it did get me thinking about how these updates provide features that make the bathroom more convenient, pleasant and more adapted to what’s called “aging in place.” That speaks to my quest for a long lived life.

Let’s start with the shower fixtures. The rain head is adjustable for different heights, and the removable hand-held is conveniently used sitting or standing. The shower is large enough that we could add a shower chair. There remains a small threshold to step over as we enter the shower but that could be adapted over time. There’s nothing unusual about the new shower door except that it opens rather than slides. That, to me, is a major improvement for keeping the area clean. All the surfaces can be wiped clean with no chance of “gunk” collecting in the tracks of a sliding door. Anything that makes cleaning easier is a good thing — at any age!

As for the makeup mirror on the counter — that’s not purely vanity. It is very practical. I was struggling to put on mascara without my reading glasses. The additional lighting and magnification now make it a breeze. I notice my husband uses it, too.

The real plus of the redo is the bidet. At first I considered this appliance rather frivolous. You might think so until you’ve tried it. The warm seat is the first plus. Beyond that, all the features of a bidet — the front and back water swishing, the drying, are there are at our fingertips. No need to reach around or bend over if it should be difficult. There’s also a nice blue night light that comes on as soon as the overhead bathroom light is turned off. All of this contributes to ease of use, safety and cleanliness. That is a good thing. And again, from the house cleaning standpoint, this particular model has an automatic sanitizer that comes on every 24 hours.

I didn’t go into this redecorating project thinking about aging in place, but it has brought to mind features that are important to think about as one ages. After all, the bathroom can turn out to be a rather unsafe place. The National Institute on Aging says that 1 in every 3 citizens over 65 suffers a fall each year, and 80 per cent of those falls happen in the bathroom.

My husband and I are both shower people, so I seldom think about taking a bath in our other bathroom. Actually, I’m not sure I want to. I’m pretty agile, but even with grab bars in place, getting out of a bathtub can be iffy. It appears walk-in tubs are becoming very popular. I remember my mother using one when she resided at an assistant living facility. She loved it. The one thing I wonder about (and I never asked her), is if it’s uncomfortable and chilly to wait for the water to drain before getting out.

A few other things are a must in the bathroom. Grab bars in the shower — check; levers rather than knobs on the faucets and bathroom door — check; Throw rugs — not so much. Two of them remain on the floor, so I need to think about better options. The new flooring in the bathroom is luxury vinyl plank flooring. Tough, waterproof and not slippery. Same applies to the shower. Tile on the shower walls, but certainly not on the floor where there is a knubby textured vinyl floor.

Renovating and age-proofing an entire home can be over-whelming not to mention expensive. But again, some of the features can be changed over time, just like our master bath renovation. Sometimes the changes are just minor, yet effective additions — little and small. Like the grab bar I added at the top of the three steps leading into our home from the garage. It is a big help to my dear friend who has MS when she comes to visit.

We still enjoy doing plenty of lawn and garden work, but some of it gets a little tiring. My husband enjoys the long handled trash picker-upper instead having to bend down to retrieve or clean up pine cones, etc. in the yard. For me, I still like the bending and stretching — at least for now!

I recently added a new video series to my exercise routine. It is Classical Stretch by Essentrics. The host and coach is Miranda Esmonde White, a 70 year old retired dancer. Her series of videos is aimed at lengthening and strengthening core muscles. “Streeetch” those muscles, she says, so you’re enlongating them rather then letting them shrivel up. Her videos, books and streaming services are packed with great information about “healthy aging.” I’ll save more of that for another post.

In the meantime, I’ll keep my bum warm on the new bidet and keep stretching with Miranda.