Best Toilet Aids for Elderly Australians: A Practical Guide

The toilet is the one thing in the house nobody wants to talk about. It is also where a lot of falls happen, almost always in the moment of standing back up.

Maybe you have started pushing off the vanity or the towel rail without really thinking about it. Maybe a parent is coming home from hospital next week and someone mentioned they will need something over the toilet. Either way it is a hard thing to shop for, because everything looks much the same in a photo and nothing explains what the difference actually is.

This guide names the five toilet aids we recommend for older Australians, what each one really does, and who it suits. You should be able to pick the right one in a few minutes.

Written by Bianca, founder of SteadWell. Last updated 15 October 2026.

Getting ready for a hip or knee replacement? Both of these packs include our 15cm raised toilet seat, with the other aids for the first weeks home.

Compare the five at a glance

Our top picks for elderly Australians

Every aid below is part of our curated bathroom range, chosen against the same checklist we use for everything we sell. Here they are, by situation.

How to work out which one you need

There are only two real questions, and the answers point straight at one of the five.

First: is the hard part standing up, or sitting down? If it is standing up, you need height, arms, or both. If sitting down is what hurts, height and arms will not help you and padding will.

Second: do you need something to hold? If you are already steadying yourself on furniture, the answer is yes, and a raised seat on its own will not solve it. Extra height without handles can even make things harder, because you have further to lower yourself onto a seat you cannot brace against.

Put those together and it looks like this. Height only, no handles needed, and the raised seat is the right call. Handles needed and you fit inside 110 kg, take the over toilet frame. Handles needed and you push up hard, or you are over 110 kg, go to the clamped surround frame. Sitting is what hurts and nothing else, the cushion. Both problems at once, the padded over toilet aid.

The toilet is not a small thing. It is the one place in the house you have to manage alone, several times a day, and getting that back is usually the whole point.

Over toilet frame, toilet surround or seat riser: what actually differs

These three get mixed up all the time, and two of them do not work together, so it is worth a minute before you order.

A raised toilet seat, also called a toilet seat riser, clips onto the bowl you already have and lifts you 10cm or 15cm. It adds height and nothing else.

A toilet surround frame is handles only. It sits around the toilet with no seat of its own, so you sit on your own toilet seat, or on a raised seat if you have one.

An over toilet frame brings its own seat and stands over the bowl. It gives you handles and height in one, and the height adjusts.

Here is the part that catches people out. If you already have a raised toilet seat, or you are buying one, choose a surround frame for the handles. An over toilet frame has its own seat, so it sits over the top and the raised seat ends up doing nothing. If you need both height and handles and have not bought anything yet, an over toilet frame covers both in one.

Getting the height right

This is the part most people skip, and it is the part that decides whether the aid gets used.

Sit on your own toilet with your shoes on. Your feet should be flat on the floor and your knees should be level with your hips or very slightly lower. If your knees sit higher than your hips, you are effectively standing up out of a hole, and that is what makes it hard.

A standard Australian toilet seat sits at roughly 40cm to 43cm. Adding 10cm with a raised seat brings that to around 50cm to 53cm, which suits most adults of average height. The frames give you more control: the over toilet frame adjusts from 54cm to 71cm, and the padded over toilet aid from 49cm to 62cm. If you are quite short, start at the lowest setting and work up, because feet that do not reach the floor make standing less safe, not more.

One measurement worth taking before you order: the space around the toilet. The over toilet frame needs a footprint of up to 64cm by 55cm and the padded aid up to 67cm by 49cm. In a small or narrow bathroom, measure the gap between the bowl and the wall or vanity before choosing a frame.

Which one fits: two measurements

Take two numbers with shoes on: the height of your toilet seat, and your knee height, from the floor to the back of your knee when you sit. The gap between them is the lift you need.

If you choose a frame, set its seat at about your knee height. The two frames reach different heights:

Using a toilet frame safely

• Back up until you feel the frame or the seat against the back of your legs before you begin to sit. Do not turn and look down.
• Reach back for both armrests, not one. Lower yourself with your arms rather than dropping the last part.
• To stand, shuffle forward a little first, put both hands on the armrests, and push down and slightly forward as you rise.
• Never pull yourself up on a towel rail, a toilet roll holder, or a vanity. None of them are fixed to take your weight, and this is the most common way people fall in a bathroom.
• Check the feet and the fittings every few weeks. Rubber feet loosen and clamps work loose over time.

If the bathroom needs more than the toilet sorted, our guide to making a bathroom safer for an elderly parent covers the room end to end, and our shower chair guide covers the other place falls happen.

If getting to the bathroom at all has become the harder part, our guide on choosing between a wheelchair and a 2-in-1 rollator covers that decision.

After hip or knee surgery

Toilet aids are often the first thing an occupational therapist arranges before someone comes home. After a hip replacement most people are given hip precautions, which usually means not bending the hip past 90 degrees for six weeks or so. A standard toilet seat breaks that rule every single time it is used.

The usual answer is height plus something to push up on, which means either the over toilet frame or, if comfort is also an issue, the padded over toilet aid. If the surgery was recent and sitting is genuinely sore, people often use the raised seat and the cushion together. Our guide to what you need at home after hip replacement surgery covers the full six weeks, room by room.

If you are still deciding between adding height and adding a frame, our raised toilet seat or safety frame comparison goes through that one choice in more detail.

Getting ready for a hip or knee replacement? The Hip Replacement Home Pack and the Knee Replacement Home Pack both include our 15cm raised toilet seat, with the other aids for the first weeks home, in one order.

NDIS and Support at Home funding

Toilet aids are classic low cost assistive technology. Everything on this page sits well under the NDIS $1,500 low cost AT threshold, which means there is no quote and no assessment to arrange before ordering. They are eligible under NDIS Consumables (Category 03).

If you are self managed, order and pay as normal and you will receive a compliant invoice to submit yourself. If you are plan managed, choose the NDIS plan managed option at checkout and put your plan manager's email in the order notes. We send a compliant invoice straight to your plan manager and you do not need to chase anyone.

If you are on Support at Home, toilet aids are funded through the Assistive Technology and Home Modifications scheme, and the five picks above all cost less than its lowest funding tier of under $500. Most AT-HM items need a participant contribution, so ask your care manager, who arranges the order, what your share will be. For the full picture of how funding works with us, read our NDIS guide, and our guide to mobility aids funded under Support at Home covers the aged care side.

Common questions about toilet aids

What is the difference between a raised toilet seat and a toilet frame?

A raised toilet seat adds height and nothing else. It clips onto the bowl you already have and lifts you around 10cm, which makes standing up less work. A toilet frame adds handles to push up on, and most frames adjust for height as well. If you are steadying yourself on furniture already, you need the handles. If the only problem is the drop, the seat is enough.

How much extra height do you actually need on a toilet?

Most people need somewhere between 5cm and 12cm. A standard Australian toilet seat sits at about 40cm to 43cm, and the aim is for your feet to be flat on the floor with your knees level with your hips or a little lower. A fixed 10cm raiser suits most adults of average height. If you are unusually tall or short, an adjustable frame gives you more control than a fixed seat.

Will a toilet frame fit my toilet?

All of the frames here fit most standard Australian toilets, and none of them need a plumber or any permanent change. The thing to measure is the space around the bowl rather than the bowl itself. The over toilet frame needs up to 64cm by 55cm of floor and the padded over toilet aid up to 67cm by 49cm. If your bathroom is narrow or your toilet is an unusual shape, ask us before you order.

Which toilet aid is best after hip or knee surgery?

Usually a frame rather than a seat, because hip precautions after a replacement mean not bending past 90 degrees, and you need both the extra height and something to push up on. The over toilet frame covers most people. If sitting is sore as well, the padded over toilet aid does both jobs, and some people use a raised seat together with a padded cushion for the first few weeks.

How to get off the toilet with weak legs?

Shuffle to the front of the seat, put your feet a little back under you, and lean forward so your nose comes over your toes. Then push down on two armrests as you rise. Height and arms do most of the work, which is why an over toilet frame helps. If your legs are getting weaker, tell your GP.

Are toilet aids covered by the NDIS?

Yes. Toilet aids are low cost assistive technology under NDIS Consumables (Category 03), and because every item here is well under the $1,500 low cost AT threshold there is no quote or assessment needed. Self managed participants claim the invoice back, and for plan managed participants we send a compliant invoice straight to the plan manager. Support at Home funds them too, through the AT-HM scheme, usually with a participant contribution.

How much do toilet aids cost in Australia?

Less than most people expect. In our range a raised toilet seat with a lid is $80, an over toilet frame $120, a padded seat cushion $120, a clamped surround frame $129, and a padded over toilet aid $199. The seats and frames are GST free. Orders of $99 and over ship free, or $250 and over in WA, NT and Tasmania.

Can you use a raised toilet seat with a toilet frame?

Yes, with a toilet surround frame, which is handles only. That pair gives you height from the seat and something to push up on from the frame. An over toilet frame does not work with a raised seat, because it brings its own seat and sits over the top.

What is a toilet seat riser?

It is another name for a raised toilet seat. It clips onto the bowl you already have and lifts the seat, so there is less of a drop to sit down and less to push up from. The 10cm raised toilet seat is $80. The 15cm raised toilet seat is $120.

Should I get a 10cm or 15cm raised toilet seat?

Sit on your own toilet and look at your knees. If they sit higher than your hips, you need height. A 10cm riser suits most adults of average height. The 15cm one suits a taller person, or the weeks after a hip replacement, when people are usually asked not to bend the hip past 90 degrees. If you are short, start with 10cm, because feet that do not reach the floor make standing up harder, not easier.

What is the best toilet frame for an elderly person?

It depends on what you need it to do. For handles only, on your own seat or a raised seat, choose a toilet surround frame. For handles and height together, the Over Toilet Frame adjusts from 54 to 71cm and holds 110kg. If sitting is sore as well, the padded over toilet aid holds 130kg, and above that, the wide over toilet aid holds 140kg.

What is the best toilet for an elderly person?

You rarely need a new toilet. A raised toilet seat adds 10 or 15cm to the one you have, and a surround frame adds handles, with no plumber and nothing permanent. A taller toilet is a renovation job, so try the seat first and see whether height alone solves it.

Can you buy a raised toilet seat or toilet frame at Bunnings or Chemist Warehouse?

Yes, and a basic one can suit someone who only needs a little height. Wherever you buy, including from us, check three things: the weight limit, how much height it adds, and whether it fits your toilet without tools. If handles are what you need, make sure you are buying a frame, not only a raised seat.

What are some good toilet aids for senior citizens?

Four toileting aids cover almost every situation: a raised toilet seat for height, a toilet surround frame for handles, an over toilet frame for both, and a padded seat cushion when sitting is sore. A commode is the fifth, for when getting to the toilet at night is the hard part.

What is a good portable toilet for elderly people?

A bedside commode: a chair with a pail that stands beside the bed, so night trips are short. The Over Toilet Aid with Padded Seat, $199, comes with a pail and works as one. For a commode that looks like an armchair, the Bedside Chair Commode is $479. Our commode guide compares them.

What are some good bathroom safety aids for seniors?

Start with the moments people feel least steady: standing up from the toilet, sitting to shower, and stepping out. That usually means a toilet frame or raised seat, a shower chair, and a non-slip mat. Our guide to making a bathroom safer covers the room in order.

What is the best aid to getting out of a bath?

If you shower over the bath, a bath transfer bench lets you sit down outside it and slide across, so there is no stepping over the edge. If you want to sit down in the water, a powered bath lift lowers you in and raises you out. Our bath aids guide compares both.

Also worth knowing about

Since this guide was written we have added a few more options for the same problem. If none of the picks above is quite right, one of these may be.

• Wide Over Toilet Aid, 140kg, $288. A wide frame rated to 140kg that stands over the toilet and gives you both height and arms. It comes with a pail, so the same frame works beside the bed at night.
• Raised Toilet Seat with Lid, 15cm, $120. Fifteen centimetres of extra height rather than ten, for when the standard raised seat has not been enough.
• Wide Aluminium Commode, 225kg, $339. A 60cm wide commode rated to 225kg that also works as a shower chair.
• Bedside Chair Commode, $479. A commode built as a cushioned armchair, for a bedroom that should not look like a ward.
• Padded 3 in 1 Shower Chair Commode, $550. One padded frame that works as a commode, an over toilet aid and a shower chair, with armrests that lift for a sideways transfer.