Every year seniors struggle to go to the bathroom and risk falling down. Falls may cause significant harm and need trips to the emergency room or hospitalization. While bones grow porous and weaker with age and mobility concerns worsen, falling does not have to be a typical part of aging. Having a professional like personal care at home can be one of the best ways to ensure your senior is safe.
Many seniors won’t want to go to their adult children for help, but it can be detrimental to their health. This is why personal care at home can be the best choice for them. They are professionals who will allow your senior to remain independent, but reduce the risk of falling or other bathroom hazards. Here are some more tips on making the bathroom safer for your senior loved one.
Add a Rubber Bath Mat to the Shower and Outside
The tub or shower floor may be slick, making getting in and out of the shower more unsafe and stressful. Add a simple rubber mat or decals to the shower floor to promote traction and confidence in moving about the shower. You may prevent slippage by putting and fastening a non-slip mat outside the shower or bathtub. This provides a secure area for your wet feet to go as you leave the shower!
Keep the Towel Within Reach
Everything you need for a bath, from shampoo to body wash to a towel, should be within arm’s reach. Add soap dispensers or an adhesive shower caddy to arrange your goods and keep them at a level where you don’t have to bend or reach to access them. The steadier you stay in the shower, the less likely you are to slip or fall.
Add Grab Bars Inside and Outside Your Seniors Shower
When going on and off the toilet or into and out of the shower, particularly if it’s not a walk-in shower, you may need a little extra stability. The inclusion of grab bars offers another degree of protection by improving balance and providing a location to grip and hang on to if you fall. Bars set into wall studs are best; do not rely on towel racks or toilet paper holders for support.
Use Bathtub Transfer or Install a Walk In Shower
Obviously, climbing into and out of a bathtub on slippery surfaces may be hazardous. You can make this shift simpler, depending on what you have accessible in your home. A walk-in tub or stand-up shower is perfect, since it removes or reduces the height you must step over. If that is not an option, try a bathtub transfer bench.
Remove Any and All Clutter
This idea holds true throughout your home: the less stuff you have to trip over, then the less likely you are to fall. Organize all your items in conveniently accessible cabinets or organizers. Hence, keeping them close at hand.
Install Night Lights In the Bathrooms
Adequate illumination heading into and inside the restroom might help lower your chance of falling during any midnight trips. It takes our eyes longer to adapt to strong lights as you age. Turning on a bathroom light from near darkness may generally be disconcerting. Lights along your walk and throughout the room will aid in your changeover.
Aviva In-Home Care provides compassionate and skilled in-home care. We are the Bay Area’s premier provider of in-home care services.
If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring professional Personal Care at Home in Piedmont, CA, call the caring staff at Aviva In-Home Care. Call today: (415) 795-2203
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