Have you ever slipped and fell in your bathroom? No matter what your age or how agile you are, a bathroom can increase your risk for falls due to slippery floors. However, seniors—who are already at a higher risk for falls—are particularly vulnerable to getting hurt in the bathroom.
With more and more seniors deciding to age in place, the need for safe bathroom areas is crucial. Even if your senior loved one lives in an assisted living facility, it’s always a good idea to double-check that their bathroom is safe for walking and moving around. Here are a few ways to make the bathroom a safer place for seniors.
- Grab the grab bars: The first easy step is to add a grab bar to the bath and/or shower area. Grab bars provide your senior with something he or she can safely hold while moving around. Grab bars often come in different colors and sizes, and you can choose DIY installation (if you feel confident in your handyman skills) or hire a pro to install one.
- Floor mats: Showers and tubs can make it easy to slip and slide, which may be fun for kids but definitely not for a senior loved one aging in place. The easy fix here is to buy no-skid floor mats that you can place in the shower and/or tub. Floor mats are preferable to throw rugs, which are actually a fall hazard. You also can buy floor mats for the bathroom floor. Ask your local hardware store about no-slip floor paint, which is another inexpensive way to make the bathroom safer.
- Shower benches: A shower bench enables your senior loved one to safely sit while taking a shower. This is important because our ability to stay balanced during a shower lowers as we get older. Shower benches often can be adjusted for height, but make sure to check weight limitations and the bench size (to ensure it will fit in the shower).
- Eliminating clutter: Help set up the bathroom so it’s free of any unnecessary items that may create a fall hazard or cause confusion for those who have cognitive issues.
- Better lighting: Poor lighting can cause glare. Traditional overhead lighting often is not the best lighting choice to see better. Instead, sconces that are installed on either side of the bathroom mirror are easier to use. Natural lighting also can be helpful. Add a night light in the bathroom for safe use at night time.
The suggestions here for better bathrooms for aging in place are just for starters. Make sure to do your research so you can create a pleasant, safe bathroom experience for your senior loved one.
Call Secure Aging to Find Out How We Can Help Seniors With Care Management
At Secure Aging in Bradenton, we transform the weight of the world into a sigh of relief for our senior clients and their concerned family members. The mission of Secure Aging is to protect and preserve our client’s independence and dignity through careful and thoughtful financial and care management. As our clients' age, it is their desire to remain independent and age with dignity. Our services protect our clients from talented con artists looking to exploit and deplete the financial resources of our vulnerable seniors. Secure Aging helps families in Manatee County and Sarasota County and in and around the communities of Anna Maria, Bradenton, Bradenton Beach, Ellenton, Holmes Beach, Lakewood Ranch, Longboat Key, Myakka City, Palmetto, Parrish, and Sarasota. Call us at 941-761-9338, or visit us online at www.secureaging.com.
