As the government continues to move Ontario forward, it will give priority to programs that both address the needs of Ontario families and strengthen the economy. One example is the proposed Healthy Homes Renovation Tax Credit, which, if passed, would support about $800 million in home renovation activity and 10,500 jobs throughout the Ontario economy annually.

This credit would help seniors stay in their homes longer and benefit taxpayers by relieving pressures on long-term care home costs. To continue to meet fiscal targets, the cost of this program would be offset by savings in other areas.

Effective October 1, 2011, senior homeowners and tenants, and people who share a home with a senior relative, would be allowed to claim a refundable tax credit of up to $1,500 for expenses related to permanent modifications to the home. Expenses would be eligible only to the extent that they improve accessibility or help a senior be more functional or mobile at home.

 Eligible Expenses

Examples of Eligible Expenses^*

• Certain renovations to permit first-floor occupancy or secondary suites ("granny flats" or "in-law suites")
• Grab bars and related reinforcements around the toilet, bathtub and shower
• Hand rails in corridors
• Wheelchair ramps, stair/wheelchair lifts and elevators
• Bath lifts, walk-in bathtubs and wheel-in showers
• Widening passage doors
• Lowering existing counters/cupboards or installing adjustable counters/cupboards
• Light switches and electrical outlets placed in accessible locations
• Door locks that are easy to operate
• Lever handles on doors and taps instead of knobs
• Pull-out shelves under counter to enable work from a seated position
• Non-slip bathroom flooring
• A hand-held shower on adjustable rod or high-low mounting brackets
• Additional light fixtures throughout the home and exterior entrances
• Swing-clear hinges on doors to widen doorways
• Creation of knee space under the basin to enable use from a seated position (and insulation of any hot-water pipes)
• Relocation of tap to front or side of a sink for easier access
• Hands-free taps
• Motion-activated lighting
• Touch-and-release drawers and cupboards and drawers that pull out fully
• Modular or removable versions of a permanent fixture, such as modular ramps and non-fixed bath lifts

* Rules for eligibility would be set out in legislation. This list is not complete.

Q. To make a bathroom more accessible, should you replace the bathtub with a barrier free shower?

Before removing the bathtub, be aware that you have the option of having the side of your bathtub “cut away” to improve walk-in access. It’s not something that we recommend as we feel that having the center section of the bathtub cut away positions the user further from the end walls and makes reaching a grab bar more difficult. You’ll also still be dealing with a slippery bathtub floor so we always encourage our client’s to instead remove the old tub and replace it with a barrier free shower.

The defining feature of a barrier free shower is the low threshold for easy walk in access and a flat, non-slip textured floor for safer footing. A barrier free shower can be made from ceramic tile or prefabricated and made out of acrylic or fiberglass.