Bathrooms contain small spaces, hard surfaces, and sharp corners. They often involve a lot of sitting down, standing up, and turning around. Dizziness, loss of balance, changes in blood pressure, dropped items, and more. It doesn’t take much to cause a devastating fall. That’s what makes bathroom safety for older people so important.
5 Bathroom Safety Tips for Seniors
1. Replace the Bathtub with a Shower-Having a bathtub might be a luxury for some of us, but for seniors, it presents a bit of an obstacle. Tubs are much harder to get in and out of, shower in, and clean, which only increases the risk of falls for seniors. A helpful bathroom safety measure for elderly people is simply to replace any bathtubs in bathrooms with a walk-in shower. These are far easier to access, thereby reducing the risk of falls.
2. Keep the Floor Dry-This might sound like a no-brainer, but it’s one of the most important things you can do to increase bathroom safety for older people. Wet or damp floors are a slipping and falling hazard to anyone, but they become much more dangerous for seniors since a fall can be much more devastating to elderly bones. Be sure there are bath mats to soak up water near the shower, sink, and toilet area and keep an eye out for any leaks. Don’t use throw mats, since these slip and bunch up easily, but rather consider rugs or mats with grips on the back so they don’t become a tripping hazard
.
3. Install Grab Bars-Grasping for something to save your balance is an instinctual response for anyone who doesn’t wa
nt to fall. Make this easier on your senior by installing grab bars in and around your shower so they have something to rely on. This gives your senior a trustworthy grip while they’re entering and exiting the shower, as well as something to lean on while they shower. This can reduce the chance of slipping and better protect them against a fall. Installing a grab bar near the toilet can also be hugely helpful and aid with balance.
4. Install Shower Seating-The risk of falling increases when one’s walking surface is damp, so to reduce this risk and i
ncrease bathroom safety for seniors, try installing seating in the shower. There are many different styles of bath seating available to suit not only your senior’s needs, but the bathroom style as well.
5. Make Sure All Essentials Are Easily A
ccessible-Don’t make the soaps and shampoo hard to reach. Convenient shelving that is within arm’s reach will make it much easier for a senior to navigate the shower and reduces tripping hazards created by leaving bottles on the shower floor. Mounted dispensers for soap or shampoo is another viable option since these are easy to refill and don’t run the risk of falling off of shelves, creating a bigger hazard.
Bathroom safety for seniors is absolutely critical. Injuries due to bathroom falls can range from mild to severe, but implementing a few bathroo
m safety precautions for our elderly loved ones can significantly reduce fall risk.