Accessible Living

Slips and Falls in the Bathroom can be Critical

If you have ever slipped in a tub or on wet bathroom titles, you know exactly how dangerous this room can be especially for the elderly that have trouble with balance, coordination, frailty, and vision. Sometimes the elderly in a home may be weak or frail from a recent illness or may also suffer from debilitating diseases that impact their vision and balance. This makes them more prone to having accidents at home, especially in bathroom spaces. One way to reduce the risk of falls is to create safe zones for your loved ones.

Since we know that slips and falls in the bathtub can be very critical, it makes a lot of sense to renovate these areas in such a way that it becomes easily accessible and safe for use by the elderly. Most people that have seniors living with them get features such as grab handles, non-slip surfaces as well as latex-bottomed rugs installed near the toilets and shower stalls.

However, when it comes to bathing, most elderly people find that modifying the bathtub is one of the best ways to be safe. There are a number of alterations that can be made in bathrooms used by seniors that will significantly help improve the safety of the space. Some of the bathroom renovation projects you can consider:

Cut-out Bathtubs

For seniors who really prefer to bathe, a modified bathtub can be an excellent option. This project does not require a complete replacement of the bathtub. Instead, we can create a “no step” bathtub. In this, the side of the tub will be cut down low, making the step to get into the tub much lower which reduces the chances of tripping and falling. Seniors that don't have a good range of motion in their legs may find this to be an ideal solution.

If the senior is a little more mobile, we can modify the bathtub a little differently. The tub height can be cut down and the door can be installed, giving them the flexibility to move in and out once the tub has been emptied of water.

Other Bathroom Modifications

In addition to the structural change that can be made to a bathtub, some of the other bathroom renovations include:

• Seats that can be installed inside the bathtub or shower stall area, to make the space more comfortable for seniors.
• Grab bars on all the nearby walls. These may not be very helpful in case of a slip; however, many elderly people use them for support, while sitting and standing.
• Grab bars can also be installed inside a shower stall on walls and for extra support near the toilet area. While clamp-on models are available on the market, it's best to install permanent ones. These offer better support and the chances of them coming off the wall are almost nil.

For more information, feel free to call Canada Scooters at 250 383-7383. Our experts are here to provide you with all the details you need about mobility products.