Increasing Bathroom Safety and Preventing Senior Falls

While the stairs are often the main focus of fall prevention here at the Stair Lift Guide, there are actually many areas of the home that can present a very serious fall risk for the elderly, with the bathroom often being one of the more dangerous rooms in the home for a senior.

There are a number of factors that go into making the bathroom a dangerous place to the elderly or mobility challenged. It comes down to a combination of factors, which work together to create a number of fall risks for the elderly. For instance, the bathroom has many hard surfaces, such as the sink and toilet, which can be very unforgiving during a fall. When water is introduced, such as from the shower, the risk of a fall greatly increases. Due to the hard surfaces, it is no wonder why the bathroom can be so dangerous to the elderly.

Start with the Lighting

When increasing safety to the bathroom, there are several things that should be considered. As is the case with most areas of the home, a good place to start is the lighting. Ensure that the bathroom is well lit and that the light switches can be easily accessed.

No-Slip Mats and Grab Bars

Next, it is important to ensure that there are no-slip mats on the floor. The traditional carpet mats should typically be avoided and instead non-skid rubber mats are usually a better choice. Often, commercial mats, like those used in a kitchen, can work very well, as they are designed to prevent slipping around water and grease. It is a good idea to ensure that the mats are in place in front of the sink and bathtub, but they should also be used in front of the toilet.

If you are not planning on installing a bath lift, it is a good idea to install a non-skid mat in the floor of the bathtub as well.

In addition to having water resistant mats on the floor, having a set of strong grab bars throughout the bathroom is also important. There should be grab bars positioned by the toilet, in the shower, and outside of the shower. Having grab bars around the sink area is also a good idea.

Safety Tip: Consider replacing your towel bars with grab bars. This way, in an emergency, there is no bar that can not be used to support the full weight of the senior. This is a good idea, because many people end up using towel racks as grab bars anyway, but this is not safe. It is a good idea to find a thinner grab bar for the towel racks, however, so that the senior can tell by feel which one is for their towels.

Lifting Aids: The Bath Lift

Consider using a bath lift to increase safety. Bath lifts are basically motorized lifting chairs that are installed inside of the bath tub. Usually most of the bath lift is made of plastic, including the chair, and the device is secured to the floor of the bathtub with strong suction cups. Using a simple hand control, which also contains the bath lift’s battery, the senior can safely lower and raise themselves into the bath tub.

There are also air filled bath lifts, which can be great for traveling, as they do not take up as much space. However, usually air bath lifts are much more expensive than the traditional plastic chair bath lift.

A third alternative is to use a walk-in bathtub, but these are very expensive and require that the old bath tub be completely removed. Bath lifts, on the other hand, can usually be installed without modifying the bathroom or the bathtub.

Lifting Aids: The Toilet Seat Lift

Toilet seat lifts are also popular and make it easier for the senior to get onto or off of the toilet. They fit over the existing toilet and provide a motorized toilet seat that pivots to make standing easier. Most toilet seat lifts, like the TushPush 2, include grab bars on either side of the toilet and can be installed without having to actually modify the toilet.

Consider the Person Using the Bathroom

In addition to evaluating the safety of the bathroom, it is also very important to take into account the abilities of the person who will be using it. Make sure to carefully observe how they interact with the different areas of the bathroom and try to spot any areas that give them difficulty. For instance, you might notice that they can not easily find their toothbrush and toothpaste, so brainstorm ways of making it easier for them to use.