The bathroom can be a dangerous place for the elderly. Factors like general weakness, joint and muscle pain, balance impairment and failing eyesight all contribute to making daily ablutions more and more difficult as time goes by. Things once taken for granted – being able to keep oneself clean, and using the toilet, slowly become insurmountably difficult, and a cause for fear and stress.
Of course, there are many things that can be done to turn the bathroom into a safer, user-friendly place for the elderly people you’re caring for. Take my advice, and don’t wait for an accident before you do something about this! How many changes you make and when is up to you. If your parent is still mobile and able to complete normal daily care routines alone, then you can start by installing bathroom safety rails and non-slip mats. On the other hand, if you notice a decline in function, you need to think ahead, knowing that things are not going to get easier. Installing a walk-in bathtub earlier, rather than later, can stave off a loss of independence and prevent accidents from happening.
If possible, involve your parent in elderly bathroom safety planning
Try to get a clear understanding of how your parent uses the bathroom. If possible, it’s a good idea to do a ‘walk-through’ with him or her. Let them show you how they lower themselves into the bath, and how they get out. Where do they hold on when stepping into the shower? Where should a handrail be placed, next to the toilet? Is it painful for them to lower themselves on to the toilet?
Your parent may find talking about these things embarrassing, and many seniors don’t want to admit that they are losing function in areas as personal as this. Be gentle in your questions, but make sure that you really find out how capable they really are. Using the excuse of needing to know where to place grab bars gives you a chance to do a ‘dry’ run, i.e., with your parent fully clothed and just pretending to sit on the toilet or climb into the bath. Of course, if you are already in the position of having to help your parent with bathing and using the toilet, then you know very well how difficult it can be. If you haven’t put the correct support appliances in place in the bathroom, you’re also risking injury to yourself and the possibility of a fall for your loved one.
Make sure that safety appliances are properly installed
Bath grab bars, shower grab bars and other bathroom safety rails must be able to take an elderly person’s full weight, and they must do so over and over again. It’s important to be sure that they are installed exactly according to instructions, with the correct installation fixtures. If you’re at all unsure, have a qualified builder or handyman do it for you. My grandmother injured herself badly when the rail she was using to pull herself out of the tub ripped right out of the wall. She hit her head and cracked three ribs as she fell in what was a completely unnecessary accident. It turned out that my grandfather had installed the grab bar with the wrong screws, which were too short. My brother promptly re-installed all the rest of the safety equipment in their bathroom, and found two other rails were also incorrectly installed! So don’t be afraid to get good help when you’re putting in safety bathroom bars of any kind.
A few elderly bathroom safety tips to remember:
- Involve your senior parent in planning for their bathroom safety rails.
- Ensure that you really understand your parent’s abilities and difficulties in the bathroom.
- Choose high quality, durable products from a reputable company. Safety is NOT the area to cut costs and buy garbage. In other words, low cost is not the most important criterion here.
- Measure twice, install once.
- Be absolutely sure that grab bars and bathroom safety rails are installed precisely according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
You can find an excellent range of senior bathroom safety features here. Their prices are fair, and the quality of their ranges for bathroom safety is superb. I was really pleased with their caring customer service as well. You can see that they know everything there is to know about caring for the elderly, which feels very reassuring to carers like me.
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