Design Your Bathroom Before It’s Too Late

Will you wait for a fall to make your bathroom safe — or take control now?

In this bold episode of Care Lab, Emilia Bourland and Brandy Archie reunite with Maria Lindbergh to rip the cover off what most people don't want to think about: how your home can quietly become dangerous without you even realizing it.

They dive deep into the emotional weight of bathroom safety — why grab bars aren’t just for “old people,” and how smart design protects your pride, your dignity, and your independence before a crisis steals it.

From confronting the stigma around adaptive equipment to calling out bad design that leaves people vulnerable, this conversation is all about owning your future with choices that look good and work hard.

They also get brutally honest about client-centered care — why cookie-cutter solutions don’t cut it — and reveal practical fixes (like what to use instead of a risky space heater) for safer, more beautiful bathrooms today.

Are you designing your life — or just waiting for life to design it for you?

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome back, Maria Lindbergh

01:12 What’s one thing you hate to see in a bathroom?

05:50 Should you install a rear wall grab bar?

10:30 Why people push back on simple bathroom solutions

14:50 Space heaters in the bathroom: safe or not?

22:30 Why design and dignity go hand in hand

28:20 The role of curiosity in better care

35:00 Final thoughts and funny t-shirt ideas

Resources:

Follow Maria Lindbergh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-lindbergh

Find care equipment solutions: https://www.asksamie.com

Learn about the future of care navigation: https://seniorai.app

Explore more episodes: https://www.carelabpodcast.com