Bathroom Safety

08/31/2018
Bathroom Safety Blog.jpg

Bathroom Safety – Ways to Prevent Falls and Injuries in Your Bathroom

Try these simple steps to make a bathroom safe for seniors

The bathroom is one of the most dangerous rooms in the home for the elderly. Studies show that one in three seniors over the age of 65 will experience at least one fall annually, and most will be in the bathroom.  Slick floors, small spaces, hard edges and few areas to grasp when falling increase chances for dangerous falls.

But with a few simple changes, it’s easy, and important, to make a bathroom safe for seniors. 

 

Easy Steps To Make A Bathroom Safe For Seniors

  1. Add sturdy grab bars to bathing areas, and anchor them to wall studs to support the full weight of an adult.
     
  2. Install non-skid tape or mats on the floor inside the shower or bathtub, and to the area just outside of the tub.
     
  3. Place a shower chair in the bathtub to make it easier to balance while showering.
     
  4. Replace a traditional shower head with a flexible handheld shower wand with an on/off button.  
    Used in combination with a shower chairs you’ll have an easier time showering.

     
  5. Raised-height seats can be installed on existing toilets to make it easier to sit.  
    Alternatively, toilets can be replaced with ADA-approved raised-height models to lessen the chance of a fall.

     
  6. Add a waterproof medical alert button to the shower area for those times when you aren’t wearing your regular medical alert button. Medical Alert Buttons with automatic fall detection are helpful in the shower – they can automatically initiate a call to call the emergency response center when a fall is detected.
     
  7. Check temperature settings on water heaters, as hot water above 120 F can scald the skin.
    Faucets with a no-scald regulator can be added as an extra layer of protection.

     
  8. Replace standard faucet handles with models that are easier for arthritic hands to grip and turn.

 

If making these modifications in your own home, most of these are do-it-yourself projects that can be done in just a few hours.  If you live in an assisted living apartment, ask you management company to send a maintenance worker to make the changes…you’ll be glad you did!

 

Thank You to Our Guest Blog Writer:

Charlie Kimball

Author for Medical Care Alert

 

MedicalCareAlert.com

 

Charlie Kimball writes for Medical Care Alert, a Michigan-based company providing 24/7 medical alert monitoring for seniors.  Learn more at https://www.MedicalCareAlert.com
 

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