SHOREWOOD, MN – October 27, 2026 – PRESSADVANTAGE –
As families gather for the holidays, adult children arriving for Thanksgiving and Christmas often notice for the first time that an aging parent struggles to move safely in the bathroom. Scala Design & Construction, a residential remodeling firm serving the Twin Cities metro, is highlighting the warning signs of bathroom fall risks and the renovations that reduce them.
The concern carries weight in Minnesota. According to the Minnesota Department of Health, the state has the second-highest rate of older-adult fall deaths in the country, after Wisconsin. In 2024, Minnesota recorded roughly 12,000 hospitalizations and 30,000 emergency room visits from falls among adults 65 and older. Slipping, tripping, and stumbling accounted for 70 percent of fall hospitalizations between 2016 and 2024.
The bathroom presents several hazards that families can spot during a visit. Common concerns include high tub walls that require a difficult step over, missing or loose grab bars, towel bars pressed into service as handholds, slick floors, low toilets that are hard to rise from, narrow doorways, and poor lighting. Each can turn a routine task into a fall risk for an older adult.
“During holiday visits, adult children often see things they missed over the phone,” said Erika Carrillo, Owner of Scala Design & Construction. “A parent gripping a towel bar to steady themselves, or avoiding the shower altogether, tells a story. Those small moments are usually the first sign that the bathroom no longer fits how someone moves.”
Scala Design & Construction approaches these situations through full design and build remodeling rather than isolated repairs. The firm’s aging in place bathroom design work addresses the room as a whole, coordinating layout, fixtures, and finishes in a single plan. Typical solutions include walk-in showers with no tub wall, comfort-height toilets, slip-resistant flooring, wider doorways to accommodate walkers or wheelchairs, and grab bars selected to match the room’s finishes so safety features blend into the overall design. The company’s broader accessible bathroom design services extend these principles across guest baths and master suites alike.
Carrillo noted that timing shapes the outcome of these projects. “Planning before a fall is very different from scrambling after one,” she said. “When a family remodels ahead of an injury, there is room to make thoughtful choices about layout and materials. After a hospitalization, the same work happens under pressure, on someone else’s timeline. The holidays are a natural moment to start that conversation.”
The company encourages families who notice these warning signs over the holidays to document their concerns and consider a plan before the next season arrives.
Founded in 2009, Scala Design & Construction specializes in residential remodeling throughout the Twin Cities metro, including kitchen remodeling, bathroom remodeling, basement finishing, full home renovations, and home restoration. The firm has completed more than 300 bathroom remodels in the region. It is a member of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry and has received the Best of Houzz award in 2023, 2025, and 2026. The licensed and insured company serves homeowners across Hennepin, Ramsey, and Carver counties.
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For more information about Scala Design & Construction Services Inc, contact the company here:
Scala Design & Construction Services Inc
Erika Carrillo
(952) 913-3294
info@scaladesign-construction.com
5330 Vine Hill Rd, Shorewood, MN 55331
