When it comes to safety for seniors, the bathroom or bath can be one of the most dangerous places in the home. 80% of falls occur, not surprisingly, in the bathroom as surfaces can be slippery and bathrooms can be clunky to navigate. In honor of National Bath Safety Month, we’ve answered some pressing FAQs to help seniors stay safe in their bathrooms. In this article we cover a range of tips and questions from “are towel bars safe to use as grab bars?” to, “are shower grab bars covered by Medicare?” Read on below for information concerning bathroom safety for elderly individuals.
What Are Some Safety Hazards in the Bathroom?
As individuals age, falls occur more often. Since approximately 80 percent of falls in the home occur in the bathroom, it’s crucial to make sure the bathroom is as safe as possible. There are several bathroom safety hazards for older adults the elderly should look out for in the bathroom.
- Low Toilet Seats: Getting the right bathroom equipment for the elderly can help prevent falls. A raised toilet seat can make the bathroom safer.
- Insecure Towel Racks and Grab Bars: Securing sturdy bathroom grab bars for elderly individuals can help reduce accidents.
- Slippery Tubs and Floors: Putting in nonslip flooring in both the tub and on floors can help prevent accidents.
- Getting in and out of the Tub: A portable tub for showering or a portable walk-in tub may help limit falls.
What Are Some Tips for Caring for an Elder Person?
Bathroom safety tips for disability or elder people can include the following:
- Make a complete handicapped toilet accessories list.
- Clear out all unnecessary clutter before making sure necessities are accessible.
- It’s also a good idea to install emergency call buttons or pull cords.
What Kind of Modifications Can Improve Safety?
People may ask questions such as, How can I make my bathroom more senior-friendly? Or, How can I make my shower safe for seniors? Or, What is good shower grab bar placement? There are several bathroom designs for the elderly and handicapped individuals that can dramatically improve safety by providing aging in place home modifications.
- Wider doors are a good innovation to room designs for the elderly and handicapped
- Bathroom fittings for senior citizens also include ramps and flooring modifications and grab bar placement
- Artificial intelligence can now become part of senior-friendly bathroom designs.
Safety FAQs
The following are a few FAQs for bathroom safety.
- How can I make my bathroom more suitable for aging-in-place?
This can include putting in a bath shower combo for the elderly and bathroom safety bars or shower grab bars. Hardware stores like Home Depot or your local hardware store even home installation for some products.
- How can I make my shower more senior-friendly?
Shower grab bars placement is key! Placing grab bars at the correct height for each individual will help immensely.
- Are home modifications covered by Medicare?
Unfortunately, Medicare does not cover home modifications.
- How do you get out of a bathtub after 60?
Bath steps, seats, and support rails can all provide help getting out of a bathtub.
- Are portable walk-in tubs covered by Medicare?
Medicare generally does not cover walk-in tubs. There are, however, some exceptions to this (read more at the link above).
- Which safety device would you find in a bathroom?
One of the best safety devices an individual can have in the bathroom is a walk-in shower. Finding the best walk-in shower for elderly individuals is a must for safety.
- What bath equipment can prevent falls?
A mobile bath for elderly individuals may help reduce falls. Grab bars are also a great tool. For more preventative fall care, consider aging-in-place home technology, like Zemplee’s monitoring system.
How Can Zemplee Help?
We at Zemplee provide quick-to-install room sensors and smart inserts that can capture movement, health metrics, and even sleep patterns. If a fall occurs in the bathroom, your caregivers are alerted through Zemplee and prompted to jumpstart your care options. Our sensors make it possible to care effectively for the elderly in their own homes and provide effective bathroom safety for elderly individuals, all with no cameras and no wearables! Contact Zemplee to learn more about aging-in place home modifications.
From, The Zemplee Team
