Soap, Slips and Drips: Bathroom Safety Strategies for Seniors

It is perfectly understandable that most seniors want to retain their independence for as long as possible and stay in their own home, but to this it is often advisable to review things.

The bathroom and the kitchen are the two rooms in the house where seniors are at their most vulnerable and in the bathroom, there is definitely a risk of a slip or trip causing an injury.

Making bathrooms safe for seniors

There are often some adaptations required to improve safety and this will mean taking a look at things like bathroom showers which
are specifically designed to be used safely by seniors.

When you consider that about a third of seniors over the age of 65 will suffer a fall in their home in the next year you can quickly appreciate that in a bathroom environment, the likelihood of this happening increases greatly.

Bathrooms offer hazardous conditions for a number of valid reasons but mainly due to the fact that users are surrounded by unforgiving and slippery surfaces. Most of the falls occur when seniors are getting in or out of the bath or shower and when sitting down or getting up from the toilet.

Safety checklist

A lot of the accessories and fittings that you need in order to “senior-proof” a bathroom are available through sites like Bedbathandbeyond.com amongst others, and here is a look at some of the ways you can make the bathroom as safe as possible.

Safety Rails

Also referred to as grab bars, safety rails should be placed adjacent to the toilet to help someone get up and down with assistance if needed, and in the shower so that there is something to grab hold of if they feel themselves slipping.

Do check that the safety rails you choose are suitable to support the weight of the person using the bathroom and as they come in a variety of different finishes, you no longer need to compromise on looks in the name of safety.

Raised toilet seat

In addition to looking at safety rails by the toilet, it would be a good idea to look at installing a raised toilet seat.

It is possible to modify the existing toilet seat or simply replace the existing one, for a safer experience every time they need to use the toilet.

Labeled faucets

Many seniors will experience deteriorating eyesight and may also get confused by which tap is hot and which is cold.

This confusion can quickly lead to a nasty accident, so to prevent burns make sure you install faucets that are clearly labeled and also consider getting taps that are easy to turn by arthritic or weak hands.

Non-slip mats

Non-slip mats are essential in order to help avoid the prospect of clipping and falling. Look to install one in the bath tub or shower and also have a non-skid mat for directly outside the shower or bath tub, so that they don’t fall when exiting or entering.

It only takes a small amount of effort and logical thinking to develop a safe bathroom strategy for senior living.

Craig Milton is a home improvement specialist. He likes to share his insights online. His articles appear mostly on home improvement and DIY sites.