Senior Bathroom Safety Under $10

More slips, falls and other accidents happen in the bathroom than in any other room of the house. It's no different for seniors. Unfortunately, seniors don't have the sturdy bones, quick healing capabilities or the general resiliency of younger people. An accident in the bathroom can have serious consequences.

While you can't ever totally guarantee against senior bathroom accidents, there are quite a few things you can do for free or under $10 to make the bathroom as safe as possible for an older person...and of course that also means safer for everyone.

1. Keep the bathroom free of clutter. A senior-safe bathroom is as empty as possible. Crowded shelves lead to dropped items, dropped items lead to bending and stooping, and bending and stooping lead to falls for the elderly. Likewise, extra decorative items take up maneuvering space. Clothing, towels and other personal items on the floor are invitations to trips and falls.

2. Store toiletries, first aid supplies and other bathroom necessaries where they are easy to reach without bending, stooping or stretching. Frequently used items should be stored as close as possible to waist level because seniors are not as flexible as they used to be.

3. Install the brightest possible bulbs in all the light fixtures. Older eyes need more light than younger eyes.

4. Get all rugs and mats off the bathroom floor. They may look nice, but even rubberized "non-slip" mats can catch a toe and cause a tumble. Find a place to hang the bath mat between uses. If the floor is cold, encourage slippers.

5. Use a rubber tub mat in a color that contrasts with the color of the tub or shower bottom. Older eyes may have lost some depth perception, and they don't see as well without their glasses. As well as preventing slips, a red, blue or green bath mat will stand out clearly against a white background and make it much easier for a senior to see where feet should go.

6. Provide an extra roll or two of paper that can be reached without twisting if the installed paper roll holder is tricky to reach.

7. Exchange all glass containers for plastic or other unbreakable material. This includes decorative items, which in a bathroom should never be fragile or breakable

8. Plug in a night light with battery back-up. Or, put a few strips of glow-in-the-dark tape on a sturdy waterproof flashlight and keep it where it will always be visible and easy to reach on its own special hook. In the event of a power failure, anyone in the bathroom will be able to find and turn on the flashlight.

9. Remove the door locks or turn them around so that the door cannot be locked from the inside. In the event of an emergency no one will have to break any locks. An alternative is to make sure all locks are the kind that can be opened from the outside with a straight wire, but those cost more than $10.

10. Set the water temperature at no more than 120 degrees so that it will never scald or burn anyone's skin, senior or otherwise.

At HeartWarming Care, we are dedicated to helping our elders live life to its fullest! If you are interested in how we can help your family with elder care in the UP/Tacoma area, call (253) 460-1574.