Bathroom Safety Fixes for Your Senior
Your senior might run into the most safety issues, particularly as her health starts to change, in the bathroom more often than in any other room. Here’s how you can help her to stay safer.
Installing Grab Bars Is a First Step
Grab bars are a huge help for seniors in the bathroom and they should likely be one of your first safety tools. You can install them in the shower, around the toilet, and all around the room as well. They need to be attached securely enough to support your senior’s weight. They can help her to not only maintain her balance, but they can support her as she shifts positions and needs to lean, stand, or sit.
Consider Raising the Toilet
Believe it or not, you can change the height of your senior’s toilet easily. You can install a seat adjuster that raises only the seat. This is usually a fast and simple fix that is no more difficult than installing a different toilet seat onto the toilet. You can also put a riser in between the toilet itself and the floor. This is a little more complicated to do, but there might be reasons you’d prefer to go that route. Do some exploring to determine which option is best for your senior.
Simplify the Bathing Process
Getting into and out of a tub or shower stall can sap all your senior’s energy. Putting a shower bench or stool into the stall or tub can help her to conserve some of her energy as she bathes. Consider other tools, too, like shower heads that have longer tubes so that your senior can use them while she’s seated. There are lots of different safety options for inside the tub or shower stall that can make bathing so much safer for your senior.
Give Her a Clear Path
Keeping the path between the bathroom and the rest of the house is crucial. If there is anything like furniture, clutter, or even a dangerous throw rug in the way, it needs to be removed. Consider adding lighting, especially motion-sensing lights, that keep the path well-lit for her. You might want to include signs, too, particularly if your elderly family member is experiencing cognitive changes that are affecting her memory.
One of the best solutions might be to hire home care providers to help your senior with personal care tasks in the bathroom. They can make sure that she’s safe and that she’s not embarrassed about needing help while in a vulnerable position.
Excerpt: Bathrooms are one of the most dangerous rooms in the house, especially for your senior.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Home Care in Keyport, NJ, please contact the caring staff at Lares Home Care888-492-3538or 732-566-1112.
