Easy Bath Safety Improvements
Your bathroom can be the most dangerous place in your house. With the combination of soapy water and slick flooring, anyone can be very susceptible to slip, and falling on the floor and bumping your head in other equipments inside the bathroom can be very deadly. One of the most vulnerable to slipping inside the bathroom are the elderly, they don’t have much balance and strength in their legs anymore, thus they can easily slip and fall. The National Aging in Place Council recommends some modifications in our lavatories to secure a bath safety use.
When our elderly housemates like our parent’s and grandparent’s needs change, we should help them adapt in the environment by modifying our environment according to their needs. This article will give you some modification tips in your bathroom to make it a safe place for everyone in your family.
Shower -Take that old tub and make a shower stall with no barriers. This will eliminate the need to stepping up high and over and gives easy access to bath area. You can install height adjustable, fix and handheld shower heads are more flexible and will allow your hair and bathe easily. Grab bars and pull down seats are also good so they can have something to hold on to as they bathe.
Sink- Lower your bathroom sink, make sure there’s an enough knee clearance for easy and more comfortable maneuvering inside the lavatory.
Toilet- Install an elevated toilet, this will make getting up and down easier and safer.
If you don’t want to do full renovation in your bathroom, you can still modify some of your existing equipments and space to ensure safety for anyone who will use your lavatory.
You can put a backless bench in your tub or shower. Your aged parents or grandparents will have special needs inside the bathroom; determine what kind of bench they need and ask a medical equipment professional to make sure you purchase the right thing.