How to Improve Bathroom Safety in your Home

As we grow older, ensuring bathroom safety becomes increasingly important. What used to be a relaxing ritual in our younger days can turn into a daily challenge. Without suitable adjustments, navigating slippery surfaces and cramped spaces can pose serious risks, making bathroom accidents a top cause of injury among the elderly at home. Worried about the cost of a full scale renovation? Our guide offers budget-friendly alternatives to enhance safety and prevent avoidable mishaps.

Remove Clutter from Floor Area

The primary foundation for bathroom safety is ensuring there’s ample space to walk.

In various living arrangements, this may seem obvious. However, if you’re a caregiver or have a family member sharing the space with younger children, preemptively clearing the bathroom floor is crucial for safety.

Ensure no clutter, toys, or cords are left on the floor, and store grooming appliances in drawers.

Invest in a Power Bath Lift

For those with restricted movement or physical challenges, a bathtub lift offers a convenient solution to prevent shower accidents without the hassle of permanent bathroom modifications. These chair-like devices, easily assembled and portable, fit snugly into the tub, enabling users to comfortably bathe while reducing the risk of falls. With most models supporting up to 300 pounds, your loved ones can be effortlessly raised and lowered into the tub with a simple button press, ensuring their safety and your peace of mind during shower time.

Purchase Hand Rails

Handrails offer added stability and support in the bathroom, particularly in areas where sitting and standing are frequent, like near the toilet or bathtub. They come in various styles, designs, and textures. The two most common types are:

•  Suction handrails: Perfect for shared bathrooms as they can be removed easily.

•  Professionally installed: Recommended for those needing strong support or with thin walls requiring professional installation.

Pro Tip: Look for handrails with ribbed or textured surfaces to enhance grip, especially when wet.

Employ Nonslip Mats in Bathtubs, Showers etc

To prevent slips in the shower, consider using mats that are both non-slip and water-resistant, providing traction with suction cups and textured ridges.

These mats can also be placed outside the bath for added safety while getting in or out.

Add Rug Grips to Accent Rugs

Bathroom rugs are useful for absorbing water, but they can also cause accidents. Attaching rug grips underneath them is a simple, affordable way to prevent tripping. These grips can be adjusted to fit any rug and are readily available online or in stores.

Install Night Lights in and Around Bathroom

Improving the illumination in and around the bathroom can lower the chances of accidents when navigating at night. Aging slows down our eyes‘ adaptation to sudden brightness, which can be disorienting when switching on a bright bathroom light in the dark. Installing lights along the way and inside the bathroom aids in a smoother transition.

Clean up Standing Water as Fast as Doable

This may be the most straightforward way to prevent accidents. Since many bathrooms have wood or tiled floors, the risk of a family member slipping and getting hurt in standing water is high without proper management of spills. Thankfully, by following the aforementioned steps, the chances of slips and falls are significantly reduced.

If your bathroom tends to accumulate water on the floor, stay vigilant for wet patches and promptly mop them up. In areas where water often pools, think about adding a drain.

By removing water before it poses a hazard, you’re providing another chance for loved ones to stay self-reliant and injury-free.

Raise your Toilet Seat

Adjusting a low toilet seat is possible with a raised toilet seat, reducing strain on joints when sitting or standing, thereby minimizing bathroom accidents.

Cover Sharp Corners

Elderly individuals may face challenges with corners. Even a minor bump can lead to painful bruising. Hence, it’s wise to invest in rubber corner guards to mitigate such risks. They’re readily accessible, cost-effective, and offer protection against accidental injuries from the cupboard or counter edges.

Final Words

Adhering to these guidelines for bathroom safety can provide reassurance that you or your loved ones can use the bathroom or shower with a greatly reduced chance of accidents. Do you have any additional suggestions for enhancing bathroom safety without spending much?