WTH Custom features barrier free bathrooms

MOSES LAKE - Barrier-free showers and bathtubs made by a nationally-known Idaho company are offered at Moses Lake's WTH Custom.

Ward and Teresa Harrington, of Moses Lake, have a passion for the product Ward installs because of family experiences.

Teresa's late cousin had multiple sclerosis. Before he died, he was lucky enough to marry his nurse, Teresa recalled.

But during the remodel of their California home, a general contractor left without completing the job. The home was gutted.

By the time Teresa's cousin could find another contractor to finish the work, her cousin was dying in a veteran's home.

When Ward and Teresa moved to Moses Lake, Ward's mother was caring for her mother in the home and needed a new shower system.

To help, Ward, a general contractor, started looking for an ADA compliant product for his parents and another client. He found Best Bath, an Idaho company that offers ADA-complaint showers and bathtubs.

The product isn't the only ADA compliant one available.

But Ward found that some others are one-piece units that are difficult to fit through a home's doorway.

Best Bath's products come in pieces that can fit in any bathroom, he said.

"I don't have to rip your bathroom apart," he said. "They fit in anywhere.

They have seals and clipping devices, "which makes it easy on everybody," Ward added.

Teresa worked in nursing homes and noticed some residents were there because they couldn't safely shower themselves at home.

"This product typically makes it so you can age-in-place longer," she said. "Aging-in-place is so important. You don't have to call someone to come help you. It takes all the danger out of your home and makes it so you can stay at home."

They want to help aging baby boomers, Ward says.

"We saw a big need for this product," he commented. "If we don't do it, who will?"

Sue Cornett, of Moses Lake, said she was "very pleased" with Ward's work. He completed a remodel, converted a dining room into a master bath and provided design help for their 15-year-old home.

The master bath now has a step-in shower, a support bar and a big corner Jacuzzi.

"The work was very, very good," she said.

More people want to remain living in their homes as long as possible, according to an AARP survey.

AARP surveyed 1,616 adults aged 45 and older. The survey results showed that nearly three-quarters strongly agreed they wanted to stay in their current home as long as possible.

Two-thirds of the people surveyed said they wanted to "remain in my local community as long as possible."

Finances prevented one-quarter of the survey's respondents from moving.

For more information, visit www.best-bath.com/ or call 509-793-8756.

WTH Custom is located at 606 W Broadway Ave., Suite B, Moses Lake.